Five held by gardaí over sophisticated insurance scam

Gardaí have arrested five people in relation to a sophisticated insurance scam involving more than 20 allegedly false claims.

Earlier this year, officers from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) began investigating a series of insurance claims relating to injuries suffered in slips and falls which were suspected to be false. In some of the claims the insurance company had already made payments.

Several targets of the operation had submitted multiple claims each, sometimes using false identities, gardaí said.

This morning gardaí arrested three males, aged between their late teens and their 40s, and two women aged in their 40s and 60s, in relation to theft and fraud offences.

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“They are currently detained at Dublin Garda stations and investigations are ongoing,” the Garda said in a statement.

The arrests relate to a series of searches carried out on April 24th last, when fraud squad gardaí and the Criminal Assets Bureau, supported by Lucan gardaí and the Armed Support Unit (ASU) raided a number of premises in west Dublin as part of their investigation.

Searches were also carried out at the offices of several solicitors suspected to have been used by the alleged scammers.

During the searches gardaí recovered six high value cars and jewellery worth more than €300,000 as well as “a substantial amount of documentation and financial records.”

Assistance Commissioner for Special Crime Operations John O’Driscoll said at the time that gardaí were determined to use coordinated operations “to identify all those persons who are involved in the making of bogus insurance claims and to maximise its potential to initiate prosecution.”

He added: "Where financial gain has already been achieved by those involved in this form of criminality the Garda Síochána will utilise available legislation to identify relevant assets and target them for seizure".