Two arrested as €1 million in cash seized in Knocklyon

CASH in excess of €1,000,000 was seized following a search of a house in the Knocklyon area on Thursday.

As part of ongoing intelligence-led investigations, the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau conducted a search of a residence in Knocklyon on Thursday, June 13.

According to a Garda statement issued: “In the course of this operation, cash in excess of €1 million, along with a money counting machine and financial ledgers were recovered.”

Gardai also confirmed that two men, aged 35 and 44, were subsequently arrested on “suspicion of facilitating/enhancing the ability of an organised crime group to commit a serious offence”.

Both men are currently detained at a Garda station in the Dublin area.

Speaking after the operation, Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, Head of Serious and Organised Crime, said: “This substantial seizure of cash shows the vast profits being made by Transnational Organised Crime Groups who inflict such damage upon our communities. 

“It should also be clear from this that there is a direct link between personal use drugs consumption and the pernicious activities of such groups. 

“We, in An Garda Síochána, are determined to disrupt the drugs networks bringing drugs into our country and to make Ireland a hostile environment for these criminals to operate. 

“Targeting such money laundering operations is a key strategy for our organisation, as this removes cash that would otherwise be reinvested by such groups into further criminal activity, and it strikes at the heart of the criminal business mode. 

“I commend the dedication and professionalism of all the gardai involved in this most recent operation”. 

Investigations are ongoing, gardai said.