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Two men arrested over €5 million land and forestry fraud

Gardaí said a significant amount of money held in Irish banks has been frozen.

Updated 8am

TWO MEN HAVE been arrested over investment fraud offences and money laundering offences involving up to €5 million.

The alleged fraud relates to an investment scheme in which the same plot of land was sold to multiple people and false documents were provided to investors. Sources say investors outside Ireland handed over tens of thousands of euro for the plots.

Both men, who are in their 40s, were arrested yesterday in Dublin and Wicklow and are currently detained at Dun Laoghaire and Bray garda stations. The man held in Bray is due to appear before Dun Laoghaire District court this morning charged in connection with the investigation.

As part of this investigation the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau has frozen a significant amount of money held in Irish banks.

Gardaí say investigations are continuing.

Comments have been closed as one of the men is due before the courts. 

Read: Dublin man who fraudulently obtained mortgage on his parents’ house avoids jail>

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5 Comments
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    Mute Danny G
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    Feb 7th 2017, 7:39 AM

    They were arrested by the Special Branch!

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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Feb 7th 2017, 7:41 AM

    @Danny G: you win. :D

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    Mute Rodger 5
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    Feb 7th 2017, 8:00 AM

    When did they twig it?

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    Mute paul mc namara
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    Feb 7th 2017, 8:01 AM

    I heard it was a root and branch collaboration.

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    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
    Favourite Drew TheChinaman :)
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    Feb 7th 2017, 8:04 AM

    The scam of selling forests you don’t own to multiple people has been around for a while… the Chinese crowd that tried it back in 2011 got away with over 200million.

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