Cars, cash and Rolexes seized in morning raid
Several organisations including the gardaí and the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) were involved in a massive operation this morning tackling organised crime in Cork.
11 searches in total were carried out in seven residential premises, one plot of land and three professional premises including solicitors and accountants. The searches were conducted across Cork, but were predominately centred around Whites Cross and Ballyvolane.
10 vehicles including a 181 Toyota Hi Lux, a 2015 Toyota Hi Lux with a UK Registration, a 191 Toyota Landcruiser, a 181 Ford Focus Sport , a 191 Ford Focus, a 172 Ford Transit Pick up, a 162 Kia and other vehicles were seized during this morning’s raid. €31,500 and four Rolex watches were also seized.
Documentation in relation to the ownership of assets, financial documentation, mobile phones and electronic storage devices were seized and are currently being examined by CAB experts.
CAB in conjunction with gardaí from the Cork City Garda Division, with the assistance of the Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU), the Southern Region Armed Support Unit, the Garda Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit, the Garda Mounted Unit, the Garda Dog and Revenue Customs Dog Units conducted the search operation as part of Operation Thor.
A garda spokesperson said: “This gang use various paving, gardening and landscaping businesses to target elderly and vulnerable persons to deceive them of money. They use intimidation to instil fear into their victims and charge exorbitant rates for substandard work. They are suspected of extorting large sums of cash from elderly and vulnerable persons for unnecessary work and engage in theft and burglary in the areas where they carry out work.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Pat Clavin said: "This morning’s search operation is a significant development in the CAB investigation and is viewed as a major disruption to the activities of this gang.”
The CAB investigation centres on an organised crime gang who are part of an extended family and who are involved in fraud, theft, deception, extortion, burglaries and in the sale and supply of controlled drugs.
Five of the residential premises, the plot of land and the three professional searches were conducted under CAB warrants, Section 14 of the Criminal Assets Bureau Act, 1996, as amended.
One of the residential premises was searched under a theft warrant, Section 48 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001, and the final one residential search was searched under a drugs warrant, Section 26 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977/84.