NO ONE has claimed £220,000 sterling seized by gardai in a raid under the Misuse of Drugs Act, a court has been told.
Mr Aidan Redmond, for the State, told Judge Terence Finn in Dublin District Court yesterday that the man in whose car the money was found had told gardai he did not know who owned it.
Det Insp Mark Curran told the court he led a raid on the home of Mr Lawrence Fitzgerald, at Ballygall Road, Finglas, Dublin, on November 8th, 1995. Gardai were let into the house by Ms Amanda Noone. Mr Fitzgerald drove into his driveway at about 9.30 a.m. The car was searched and the money discovered in a black hold all in the boot.
Det Insp Curran said he arrested Mr Fitzgerald under the Misuse of Drugs Act. When asked to account for the money, he said he had collected the hold all earlier that day at Dublin Airport and had not known what was in it or to whom it belonged.
The garda who found the bag said it was full of bundles of sterling. Mr Fitzgerald had not directly answered whether he had collected the bag from a place in the airport or from a person.
Judge Finn said the court should direct that the money be forfeited to the State. Mr Redmond said Mr Fitzgerald had been informed.