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The Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) has taken possession of a palatial house from a Co Kerry man who has been under investigation for his role in a deception-based gang operating in Ireland, the UK and continental Europe.
The man at the centre of the case, and a number of his associates, have amassed considerable wealth by preying on older people in carrying out minor home improvements for them, including guttering and small-scale construction works such as extensions.
They have charged their victims, many of whom were vulnerable, very elderly or whom they intimidated, exorbitant fees for often minor works. They also took money from people up front, sometimes very significant sums, with the promised work never carried out.
Garda sources said the gang has been active for years in Ireland and the UK, adding they had also come to the attention of European police forces.
Forced withdrawals
In some cases, once an older or vulnerable person agreed to pay some money, the gang members continued to prey on them for days before they were paid five-figure sums. At times they drove their victims to their local bank branches to withdraw the cash.
After a High Court ruling in favour of Cab this week, against a 36-year-old suspect in the case, its officers travelled to his home near Killarney on Thursday and took the keys of the house. The palatial detached home was now being secured and had been taken for the State along with a number of other, lower-value assets owned by the same man.
The bureau about five years ago established Operation Tarmac after a group of people suspected of involvement in deception-based organised crime began displaying signs of very significant wealth, which gardaí believed could not be explained by legitimate income. An assets profile within the Garda in the Kerry division compiled a dossier on the lifestyle of a number of men believed to be operating from the county as an international crime group.
Mercedes and Rolexes
Once the dossier was analysed by Cab’s officers in Dublin, Operation Tarmac commenced and resulted in a significant search-and-seizure operation almost four years ago. At that time, 11 properties were searched and gardaí confiscated nine vehicles – five BMWs, an Audi, a Mercedes and two VW Passats. They also confiscated 12 high-value watches: 10 Rolexes, a Cartier and a Dolce & Gabbana. Four bank or credit union accounts, with a total of €177,000 deposited, were also discovered during the Cab investigation and frozen while a large sum of cash – €127,000 together with £7,000 – was also confiscated.
The 36-year-old suspect whose shouse was taken from him on Thursday has also lost other items to Cab including a Rolex watch, Louis Vuitton bag and a BMW vehicle. The suspects remain under investigation and also face making cash settlements with the authorities as well as the loss of assets to Cab under the Proceeds of Crime Act.