Gardaí have arrested three men and seized more than €1.28 million in cash during an operation targeting an organised crime group operating in the capital.
The operation began on Thursday when members of the Dublin Crime Response Team intercepted a vehicle in the Donnybrook area. A man in his 50s, who was driving the car, was arrested at the scene. During the stop, officers discovered €197,760 in cash concealed inside the vehicle.
Following the arrest, gardaí launched a series of follow-up searches across south Dublin. These searches resulted in the arrests of two more men, aged in their 30s and 40s. Both were detained for questioning in connection with the ongoing investigation.
During the subsequent raids, officers searched several properties linked to the suspects. In total, €1,086,175 in cash was recovered from these premises, bringing the total amount seized during the operation to €1,283,935.
All three men remain in garda custody at stations in Dublin and are expected to appear before the courts later today.
Assistant Commissioner Cliona Richardson welcomed the outcome of the operation, describing the seizures as a significant blow to the activities of organised crime in the city.
“These seizures remove ill-gotten gains from the hands of criminals,” she said. “By depriving them of these funds, we are not only preventing their use in further criminal activities, but also disrupting the financial infrastructure that sustains such operations.”
The Dublin Crime Response Team’s actions form part of a wider effort to dismantle organised criminal networks through targeted intelligence-led operations. Gardaí have stressed that removing the financial resources of these groups is a key strategy in undermining their capacity to operate.
The arrests and cash seizures follow a series of recent high-profile operations against organised crime in Dublin, reflecting an increased focus by law enforcement on financial disruption. Garda sources indicated that the investigation remains active and that further arrests have not been ruled out.
Court proceedings are expected to reveal more details about the alleged activities of the suspects and the origins of the seized funds.
The operation is seen as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in tackling sophisticated criminal enterprises that rely heavily on cash-based systems to avoid detection.
