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€4.2 million of criminal proceeds returned to Exchequer as cryptocurrency seizures soar

The Criminal Assets Bureau seized €53 million worth of cryptocurrency in 2020.

MORE THAN €4.2 million worth of criminal proceeds were returned to the Irish Exchequer last year.

The Criminal Assets Bureau of the gardaí, which is tasked with investigating proceeds from criminal activity, yielded over €4.2 million to the Exchequer in 2020, its new annual report shows.

The District Court has currently restrained €4,528,374, £76,760 sterling and $13,000 Australian dollars held in bank accounts.

The total value of assets frozen increased by €54 million last year from €3.3 million in 2019 to €57.7 million.

“This unusual variance is largely due to a significant seizure of cryptocurrency in 2020 to the value of €53 million,” the report outlines.

The bureau returned €5.4 million to the Nigerian government after a memorandum of understanding between Ireland and Nigeria over theft of Nigeria’s public funds and international laundering of criminal proceeds of General Sani Abacha, who was president of the country during a military coup in the 1990s, and his son. 

€1 million was yielded to the Exchequer through the confiscation of assets of people who has been convicted of drug trafficking and where the court has determined that the offender has benefitted from drug trafficking.

Minister Heather Humphreys said that “even during the circumstances of the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic”, the bureau helped to deter illegal activity by “freezing and confiscating assets identified as deriving from the proceeds of crime”.

She said the government is “fully committed” to supporting the bureau’s work.

“I welcome the agreement that was reached earlier this year between Minister Helen McEntee and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath to establish a new Community Safety Innovation Fund, to reflect the significant successes of An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau in disrupting criminal activity and seizing proceeds of crime by providing additional funding for investment in community safety projects,” Humphreys said.

“The fund will encourage and recognise the efforts of local communities on the ground to improve community safety based on their local experience and unique perspectives. Successful projects can then be shared across the country.”

The bureau raised €280,515.46 by seizing and auctioning goods that were purchased with proceeds of crime.

The assets sold were Bitcoin, watches, jewellery, designer clothing, designer footwear, designer handbags, luggage, and a Calidus Gyro aircraft.

Investigations into social welfare entitlement of people engaged in criminal activity found €466,676 of savings by terminating payments to individuals who were not entitled to them.

Social welfare overpayments that were assessed and demanded amounted to €1,712,072.

€317,236 was returned to the Exchequer in 2020 through Social Welfare Bureau Officers.

Tax recovered by the bureau during 2020 amounted to €2.138 million from 64 individuals or corporations.

The bureau brought 31 new applications before the High Court under Proceeds of Crime legislation in 2020, the majority of which related to drug trafficking cases.

Other frequent crime types were thefts, burglary, fraud and money laundering.

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    Mute The Risen
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    Oct 24th 2019, 12:55 PM

    So, multiple failures from Irish Water. Well that’s what happens when you set up a company for billing and privatisation rather than a proper state utility

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    Mute Peter Hughes
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    Oct 24th 2019, 1:08 PM

    @The Risen: Heads should roll.

    150
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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Oct 24th 2019, 6:24 PM

    @Peter Hughes: Yep but they won’t because this is ireland. The EU advised our government NOT to install meters until the infrastructure was updated but they ignored that advise. I’d love to which one’s made the decision to meter because they were not acting on the good faith of the citizens of our country.

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    Mute Roibeard Ó Riain
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    Oct 24th 2019, 12:53 PM

    And we only hear about it now. Absolute bollox

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    Mute Tim Pot
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    Oct 24th 2019, 2:48 PM

    @Roibeard Ó Riain:

    3. AUDITORS COMMENTS The audit found that Leixlip water treatment plant is generally very well run and operated, however the series of events which occurred from 13/03/19 to 15/03/19 presented a significant risk to the safety of the water supply. Irish Water must ensure that the lessons learned from this incident are acted upon to prevent a reoccurrence, and to ensure the ongoing safety and security of the water supplied by Leixlip water treatment plant, and to protect public health for the significant population served by the plant.

    20
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    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
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    Oct 24th 2019, 4:51 PM

    @Tim Pot: IW didn’t test the water after the ‘series of events ‘…why?That is inexcusable!When water was tested giardia was found which is notifiable but water users weren’t told plus because water wasn’t tested by IW water users were also unaware of infected water.This isn’t acceptable!After all this is the second largest water supply in Ireland supplying 600,000 people!
    Also IW was to write a Report for EPA within a month ie May(EPA Report published in April)to show how they would remedy the failures listed in EPA Audit findings!So what did Report convey to EPA re actions taken and response?

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    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
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    Oct 24th 2019, 4:58 PM

    @Nuala Mc Namara: Lessons were not learned!

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    Mute Shakka1244
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    Oct 24th 2019, 5:58 PM

    @Tim Pot: Serious question – why are you on every IW article defending IW to the hilt? What’s your angle?

    11
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Oct 24th 2019, 1:20 PM

    All part of the privatisation strategy. No one will be held accountable. A pat on the back for doing a good job and following policy.

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    Mute Mary Byrne
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    Oct 24th 2019, 1:40 PM

    So it’s only a problem now because they have been found out.

    86
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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Oct 24th 2019, 2:31 PM

    Excuse me ? This happened in March and the public was not advised until now ? Dangerous Bacteria for people with health problems and excessive aluminium in water to which I’m actually allergic as are many people ? !What the hell is going on ? This is Outrageous . Has this been rectified or has it continued until now meaning they were just caught ?

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    Mute Tim Pot
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    Oct 24th 2019, 2:47 PM

    @Isabel Oliveira:
    Its freely available information online.
    http://www.epa.ie/water/dw/dwaudits/

    aluminium levels were ‘above normal’ but still below dangerous levels. If there was a risk to human health the HSE would have notified the public.

    Something similar occured in Limerick last year where the HSE notified the local population

    6
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Oct 24th 2019, 3:02 PM

    @Tim Pot: Are you IW’s spokesperson?

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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Oct 24th 2019, 3:24 PM

    @Tim Pot: they failed to notify the HSE in March how could the HSE advise us ? They may well be under dangerous levels for people without allergies to it but I can assure you my skin told me differently earlier this year . Ugh

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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Oct 24th 2019, 3:24 PM

    @Tim Pot: they failed to notify the HSE in March how could the HSE advise us ? They may well be under dangerous levels for people without allergies to it but I can assure you my skin told me differently earlier this year . Ugh

    6
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    Mute Tim Pot
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    Oct 24th 2019, 7:11 PM

    @Isabel Oliveira:

    No, they did notify the hse regarding the aluminium levels.

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    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
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    Oct 24th 2019, 9:15 PM

    @Tim Pot: But IW FAILED to inform HSE of the ‘most SIGNIFICANT’ issue is failures in clostridium and giardia barriers for 8 long hours…..and no tests done on the water despite significant risk of water contamination from either of them….why?
    I don’t understand why this wasn’t done by IW especially considering 600,000 people including children, vulnerable people at risk of water contaminated from clostridium or giardia which are both notifiable.
    When water later tested giardia present in water.But of course HSE couldn’t notify,tell IW to notify 600,000 people earlier because IW failed to even test for these bugs so HSE didnt know either!

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    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
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    Oct 24th 2019, 9:22 PM

    @Tim Pot: By the way,when water tests positive for giardia in March why NO boil notice issued for the 600,000 people supplied, giardia is notifiable not just to the HSE but especially to the consumers of this water supply.?

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Oct 24th 2019, 10:36 PM

    @Dave Doyle: Yes he definitely is!!

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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Oct 24th 2019, 11:46 PM

    @Tim Pot: the HSE failed to notify anyone about the aluminium . An audit report in an obscure website is not acceptable . They’re also at fault on this .

    They failed to notify the HSE on the bacteria , now – 7 months have passed and suddenly here’s a boil water notice . Is this a new issue or the same issue that was never resolved ?

    This is absolutely unacceptable . Elderly people and people with compromised immune systems could have fallen very ill due to sheer criminal & deliberate irresponsibility.

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    Mute Joan Murray
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    Oct 24th 2019, 12:48 PM

    Well, you get what you (don’t) pay for.

    59
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    Mute Lurfic
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    Oct 24th 2019, 1:01 PM

    @Joan Murray: you realise that water charges would have replaced existing funding, not added to it?

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Oct 24th 2019, 1:02 PM

    @Joan Murray: we’ve paid billions & continue to do so every year as you probably know already!

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Oct 24th 2019, 1:03 PM

    @Joan Murray: The majority of people in Ireland contribute towards the upkeep of our water system. Anyone who pays tax is contributing. First world rates for third world services.

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    Mute Roibeard Ó Riain
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    Oct 24th 2019, 1:14 PM

    @Joan Murray: We did pay for it. Part of motor tax and numerous other payments went to water infrastructure

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    Mute Ali Ní Dhomhnaill
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    Oct 24th 2019, 1:42 PM

    @Joan Murray: I do pay for it, in my motor tax

    49
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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Oct 24th 2019, 2:22 PM

    @Ali Ní Dhomhnaill: And every single item you buy when shopping!

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    Mute David
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    Oct 24th 2019, 2:46 PM

    @Colette Kearns: he knows. Hes trolling

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    Mute Leo The Liar
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    Oct 24th 2019, 5:33 PM

    @Joan Murray: we never stop paying for it.

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    Mute Leo The Liar
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    Oct 24th 2019, 5:42 PM

    @Joan Murray: we always pay for just incompetent fools in Irish water with no accountability.

    11
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    Mute Declan
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    Oct 24th 2019, 1:20 PM

    This is nuts and getting worse by the minute. Can’t believe mist of the city has an unsafe water supply, with no end in site and that there isn’t a bigger effort to get this fixed.

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    Mute Marianne
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    Oct 24th 2019, 4:02 PM

    Not fit for purpose ….and they wanted to charge us ?? Joke

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    Mute gofreak
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    Oct 24th 2019, 5:01 PM

    Still waiting for an explanation on the delay of ~7 hours+ before the boil notice was issued in the current incident…

    How long were we drinking potentially bad water?

    22
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    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
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    Oct 24th 2019, 2:58 PM

    Obviously, lessons not learned!!

    16
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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Oct 24th 2019, 1:23 PM

    Ridiculous

    33
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    Mute Todd Unctuous
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    Oct 24th 2019, 2:32 PM

    It makes great sense to dump treated shit in the Liffey in Naas upstream of Leixlip where our drinking water is then taken from. I live in the affected area and will never trust to drink the water again as its not being treated correctly. Nice to see that a third of my motor tax is squandered!

    52
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    Mute Nicholas Byrne
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    Oct 24th 2019, 5:30 PM

    At the end of the day Irish Water’s failure to report to the EPA in March unnecessarily put public health at risk. Who will be held accountable ?.

    14
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    Mute Michael
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    Oct 24th 2019, 2:16 PM

    It wasn’t unreported. It was covered in questions to the Taoiseach yesterday from the Sinn Fein leader in the Dail.

    11
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    Mute Damien Hawe
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    Oct 24th 2019, 3:25 PM

    @Michael: It was unreported when it happened back in March

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    Mute James Quinn
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    Oct 24th 2019, 3:13 PM

    I’m not feeling well

    10
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    Mute Enda Collins
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    Oct 24th 2019, 4:56 PM

    Here in Roscommon we were on a boil water notice for two years at the very least and hardly no mention of it in the media !!
    Enough said !! Just boil the water for a while.

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    Mute kevin mc cormack
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    Oct 24th 2019, 3:51 PM

    Holding a gun to the public’s head, pay up or else

    17
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    Mute gofreak
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    Oct 24th 2019, 5:01 PM

    @kevin mc cormack: If you pay tax, you’re already paying.

    11
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    Mute kevin mc cormack
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    Oct 24th 2019, 6:31 PM

    @gofreak: I know,and now we have to play Russian roulette by using what we’re all ready paying for

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    Mute James Quinn
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    Oct 24th 2019, 3:13 PM

    I’m not feeling well

    5
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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Oct 24th 2019, 7:14 PM

    @James Quinn: Make yourself a lovely cup of tea. Just make sure you remove the brown floaters and boil the kettle twice.

    6
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