Receipt for €8,500 bed among items found in CAB raids across five counties

A Rolex watch and a receipt for an €8,500 bed, as well as drugs and a number of cars, were among items seized as part of a major Garda operation targeting organised crime.

The targets of the raids, which were spearheaded by the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab), are a family-based crime gang based in Co Louth.

However, Garda sources said a significant gangland figure is regarded as “leader and controller” of those whose property and cash was seized on Thursday. And the series of raids was also aimed at damaging his criminal activities.

The chief suspect was not present when the raids took place as he is currently in custody on another matter and he is not related to the family-based group at the centre of the raids.

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One man was arrested after gardaí carried out 21 searches in five counties on Thursday morning.

The Garda search teams seized approximately €30,000 in cash, two stolen caravans, a Mercedes Benz as well as a large selection of strimmers, lawn mowers and power tools.

A quantity of cannabis herb and cocaine, with a combined value of an estimated €1,000 was also found and approximately €100,000 in a bank account has been frozen.

A total of 15 vehicles were seized. However, only the Mercedes was taken under proceeds of crime legislation. The other vehicles were confiscated for breaches of road traffic legislation, such as not being taxed.

“This was a substantial garda operation,” said Supt Andrew Watters of Drogheda Garda station.

“It involved local and national Garda units to target the assets of, and to disrupt the work of, a significant organised criminal gang that is based in Drogheda.

“It is involved in serious and organised crime including the sale and distribution of drugs in a number of counties,” he added.

It is suspected that the gang was selling the drugs in at least five counties. As part of the operation gardaí combed a disused quarry off the Cement Road. Garda divers searched a lake in the quarry.

The searches were carried out in Dublin, Louth, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan.

As well as Cab, the operation also involved the Emergency Response Unit, the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Revenue’s Customs officers and local gardaí.

The operation was mainly an intelligence-gathering operation about the proceeds of crime. Financial documents and mobile phones were seized for examination.

The gangland criminal not directly targeted is the key person of interest in the proceeds of crime inquiry into the larger criminal enterprise, of which the people targeted on Thursday and just one part.

Other members of the large criminal enterprise, based mostly in Louth and Meath, are suspected of involvement in the disappearance and assumed murder of Willie Maughan (35) and Latvian national Anastasija (Anna) Varslavane (21).

They were last seen in Gormanston, Co Meath, on the afternoon of Sunday, April 14th, 2015.

Gardaí believe they were killed and their bodies disposed of because the gangland criminal who controls those targeted on Thursday feared the couple was about to go to the garda and link him to the gun murder of Benny Whitehouse in Balbriggan in 2014.