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GARDAÍ HAVE SEIZED almost €200,000 worth of drugs in Dublin as part of a major investigation into illegal items being sold on the ‘dark net’, an encrypted layer of the internet.
Gardaí said the Criminal Assets Bureau also seized ‘currency assets’, and said an analysis is continuing with regard to the storage of Bitcoin currency.
Officers had been carrying out surveillance of a property on South Circular Road in Dublin city for some time after getting information from an international investigation into drugs being sold on the dark net, which identified an Irish vendor.
Gardaí from CAB and the National Drug Unit raided the premises on Wednesday afternoon and seized ecstasy tablets, LSD, and other drugs.
Two men in their 30s were arrested at the scene and are being held at Kevin Street and Kilmainham garda stations.
The dark net, which cannot be reached through a normal browser and requires anonymising software, allows buyers and sellers to buy things – including drugs and weapons – anonymously, often using Bitcoin.
Gardaí said a follow up search in Harold’s Cross in Dublin 6 resulted in the seizure of documentation about off-shore bank accounts in Switzerland, Belize, Poland, and a number of other countries. A small amount of drugs was also seized in the operation.
In a statement, the Garda Press Office said that a “critical part” of the sting operation on the South Circular Road was “preservation of data on encrypted computers which related to the worldwide distribution of controlled drugs from this premises in Dublin 8″.
“With the invaluable assistance of the CAB and Computer Crime Investigation Unit, a number of computers were safely retrieved with accessible information immediately at the time of entry on this search”.
Gardaí described the bust as a “significant vendor” and said the arrests will be “of significant interest to many global law enforcement agencies who specialise in dark net investigations”.
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They haven’t given as much consideration to vrt being illegal.
@James Groden: we are very selective here to European rulings. Comes down to the coffers every time.
@James Groden: Its not, EU has ruled on it “The EU has commented that although VRT is legal it is totally contrary to the spirit ” only part that was illegal was having to pay the full whack even if it was only for sometime. Government now refunds some of the VRT on export of a car.
@Sean Partidge: Explain please we like to know.
Amazing tds are rarely on it considering scandal after scandal
This government only like rules that apply to others,
@David Mercedes: Explain.
Why shouldn’t they be on a published defaulters list? I mean the solution is fairly simple. Don’t default and hey presto your name, address, occupation, what you defaulted on and how much you have to pay not on the list! In one sense it’s a great deterrent.
@Thomas Meaney: That may sound fair and reasonable enough but for many people finding themselves in difficulty with revenue there is a lot more to the story than them deciding not to pay.
Some people with small businesses that fail in to unexpected ill health can find themselves in trouble quite quickly if they are the principal book keepers.
Also family business where there is perhaps a marriage breakup can cause revenue issues to be overlooked as people try to initially resolve day to day finances.
The revenue are quite approachable in times of difficulty but you will eventually end up on the wrong side if you just can not pay come a certain date. I also believe the penalties attached to debts are grossly unfair and if such a system was imposed by financial institutions there would be uproar.
The judges are fearful of being published.
This has ramifications for media publishing names and other details from cannabis possession cases as I look at it. Maybe one of the media might weigh in with an opinion?
Harris should pay the men women and children born in the institutions for illegitimate.
Not sure what to say but here goes anyway. A few years ago I got letter from Revenue stating I was due a refund of €600. A good while later I noticed that I had not gotten the refund. Emailed them, then got another letter declaring I actually OWED them €1,800. No explanation given re. the discrepancy. I paid up pretty quickly but often wondered how this could have happened and no reasonable explanation offered. For me the unspoken implication was “Shut up and pay up” and I did. We’re the plebs I suppose & they are the masters, who knows?
Food safety authority don’t release the names of restaurant with rodents but it’s ok to name and shame revenue defaulters
Criminals convicted in court are named, what is the difference?
have your say