The Garda unit set up to counter money-laundering is continuing its investigations into the financial activities of a number of suspect Islamic figures in Dublin but has yet to uncover any evidence of major transactions, it is understood.
The Garda investigations are centred on the affairs of a small number of men believed to have links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda group.
Documents seized last month and accounts so far examined have shown evidence of relatively few international transactions. However, Garda sources pointed out that the activities of the al-Qaeda group do not necessarily involve large amounts of money. The sums under examination here are said to run to tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank has confirmed that it has frozen a number of accounts under its jurisdiction here. This follows requests from the European Central Bank, which is acting on requests from the US authorities.
The US this week began issuing directives to regulatory authorities on the freezing of assets of suspected terrorist groups. It was not clear yesterday if the accounts frozen in Ireland are straightforward bank accounts or large international money-moving accounts such as those handled in the International Financial Services Centre in Dublin. These IFSC accounts also come under the control of the Central Bank.
The accounts under investigation by the Garda are understood to involve charitable institutions set up in the Republic in the past decade. Garda∅ believe that the al-Qaeda network used Dublin as one of its many bases in Europe, Asia and the United States to support its activities.
There is no evidence to date that terrorist acts were prepared or planned here.
However, one person who lived here until this summer is seen as being an important figure in the al-Qaeda organisation. His whereabouts are not known, but it is understood that the US authorities believe he travelled to Afghanistan.
Another man who remains here is also thought to be an important al-Qaeda organiser, although he denied having any knowledge of the group when questioned recently by garda∅.