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A NUMBER OF senior Kinahan gang members have started ‘gifting’ their relatives and friends property and luxury items they believe may be under scrutiny from the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB).
A number of senior criminal figures have ramped up efforts since the specialist gardaí raided a number of businesses and properties in the past 12 weeks.
And it has also emerged that a sister of one of the country’s most well-known gangland targets was arrested by the bureau last week.
However, she was later released without charge. Security sources have told TheJournal.ie that officers are deciding how to proceed.
It is a new departure for gangland figures to transfer assets to relatives – and investigating gardaí are examining their options.
They can begin confiscation orders for the items or they can attempt to link the senior gangland figures to the gifts and pursue them in connection with connected crimes.
The rate of offloading assets to trusted relatives and friends has accelerated in recent months as CAB, along with specialist officers from other divisions, close in on a number of illegal operations.
In one case, luxury vehicles from a Dublin motor company allegedly acting as a front for Kinahan gang members were brought to the UK by ferry before they could be seized. Their final destination was the property of a Birmingham-based gangland figure who is alleged to have devised the strategy to murder Gary Hutch in Spain. It is understood he was able to sell them on.
The England-based criminal, who is originally from Dublin city, distributed the cash to other businesses the Kinahan cartel has interests in throughout the UK.
Murder
CAB, set up in 1996 in the aftermath of the killing of journalist Veronica Guerin, aims to seize assets gardaí believe were obtained using the proceeds of crime.
It returned in excess of €3.8 million to the Exchequer in 2014.
In that year, it brought 10 new proceeds of crime proceedings before the High Court obtaining freezing orders to the value of €6.76 million.
Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has recently said there are a “number of vacancies at the bureau are currently in the process of being filled including both a forensic accountant and a financial crime analyst vacancy”.
Over €7 million has been spent on the bureau this year with an extra €500,000 being earmarked for 2017.
Asset seizures
Gardaí have also increased the number of planned raids on premises in recent months.
Last month, 46 cars and significant amounts of cash, jewellery and watches were seized.
Around 20 premises were raided in a series of searches , including car showrooms, garages and solicitor and accountancy offices.
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Great work.
Paul Williams is as bad as the gangsters for causing trouble, he needs 24hr protection now because he’s a shit stirrer and it costs the state close to 2 million to protect this Muppet
Where’d you get that from ? ..
Wrong John. Paul williams is the one telling us what the bad guys are up to. Otherwise we’d be in the dark.
I really admire paul Williams. He is very brave.
He has a Garda posted outside his house in a security hut and an escort wherever he goes 24hr a day for the past ten years or so, do you think this is free NO me and you are paying for it, because he lives of spreading fear he wants you to be afraid so you’ll buy that paper and he makes his money
Again , where’d you get that information from ?
Paul Williams
So not true …..
Well Suzie how do you know it’s not true……..
Because I watched an interview with him recently …
And a reporter would never lie or mislead the public in anyway, my partner’s father was posted at his house for many years
These relatives should be charged with accessory to all the crimes if accepting the gifts!
Fact is that all these family members are skum themselves!
paul williams brave? he’d sell a story on his grandmother id say. still playing the worn out violin on john gilligan…
I hope every little scrap is seized and they are left with nothing. Disgusting low lives.
Eh Francis, I rang up CAB this morning and they had no idea about the jobs waiting to be filled.
I was told to go on publicjobs.ie and you guessed it, nothing there either.
That’s good ol paul for you always rite isnt that rite Suzie
have your say