A CONVICTED DRUG dealer who gardaí believe controls the cocaine trade in West Cork was the subject of a CAB raid yesterday.
Residential and business premises were raided by officers yesterday morning.
In total, CAB searched 11 homes, four businesses, one hotel room and six professional premises. Some financial documents were also seized in the raids.
The man has long been suspected of moving significant amounts of drugs around the West Cork area.
He has regularly flaunted his wealth by buying new cars, designer clothes, and jewellery. Garda intelligence also suspected him of being in possession of significant amounts of cash.
He is linked to a number of businesses in West Cork and it is believed he is laundering the proceeds of his criminal conduct, namely the supply of drugs, through these businesses. He has repeatedly told gardáí that this cash was generated through legitimate means.
However, TheJournal.ie understands that trustworthy intelligence has been gathered on this man in recent months which links him to criminality, especially to the drug trade.
He has, in recent months, been seen in the company of other “serious” players in the drug importation business in the Munster area.
Local CAB profilers have been working on this man’s case for a significant amount of time, informed sources told this publication. The man intends to challenge CAB over the seizure.
The raids on the business premises are also seen as key by CAB investigators. It is through the financial documents that trained officers will be able to find discrepancies which may lead to the permanent seizure of the criminal’s cash and assets.
During the course of yesterday’s search, the following was seized:
In addition to this, a small quantity of suspected cocaine and cannabis, mobile phones, financial records, and business records were seized, and the funds of four different financial accounts were frozen.
Gardaí said yesterday’s search operation “has dealt a significant blow to the drug distribution network in Cork city and Cork county and is an example of the Criminal Assets Bureau working closely with the Garda Division through the Asset Profiler Network”.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say