The Government today began its legal bid to confiscate more than £14 million from convicted drugs dealer John Gilligan.
It seeks to confiscate £14.2 million pounds which it alleges were Gilligan's profits from importing 20,000 kilos of cannabis resin into the country over a two-year period.
Gilligan is serving a 28-year prison sentence imposed by the Special Criminal Court for importing cannabis resin.
Gilligan (49) from Blanchardstown, Dublin, was convicted on March 15 this year of unlawfully importing cannabis resin on various dates between July 1st, 1994 and October 6th, 1996. He was cleared of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin on June 26th, 1996.
Today in the same court, sitting in Dublin, State counsel Mr Eamonn Leahy SC said that the prosecution was relying on the findings of the court in its judgment and sentence which established that Gilligan was a man who has benefited from the proceeds of drugs trafficking to an amount in the region of £14 million.
The court also heard preliminary legal submissions from Gilligan's counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins SC. Mr Justice Diarmuid O' Donovan, presiding at the non-jury court, said the court was expected to give a ruling on them tomorrow.