Last week, a Dublin drug dealer’s two-decade career as a major player in Dublin organised crime was laid bare when the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) seized his luxury properties worth €3 million in Dublin, Wexford and Kildare.
David Waldron, who spent decades quietly developing his drug-dealing business while keeping out criminal feuds and the media, lost his legal battle against Cab last week.
Waldron and his wife, Charlene, enjoyed years of lavish overseas travel, opulent home refurbishments and expensive parties, while simultaneously receiving social welfare and, during the pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment.
Their story extends beyond the drugs trade to feature luxury Celtic Tiger lending, a sex shop-owning ‘headshop czar’ and a funeral business called ‘Elegant Send-off.’
Conor McGregor to pay almost €250,000 damages to Nikita Hand after jury finds he assaulted her in Dublin hotel
Storm Bert: Met Éireann issues red and orange warnings with some areas urged to ‘shelter in place’
Body recovered in search for woman who drowned in Co Galway last week
Paschal Donohoe defends dinner meeting with Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary
Who is this quiet criminal, who avoided the headlines for more than two decades? And how did he safely rise through the ranks, while so many of his well-known associates were murdered?
Irish Times Crime and Security editor Conor Lally discusses Waldron’s 25-year run in the Dublin underworld on today’s episode of In the News.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and Declan Conlon.
