A GANGLAND banker who laundered drugs cash for Ireland’s major crime gangs has been arrested by gardai.
The suspect – who’s from Ukraine – was lifted by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau under ‘Operation Tara’ on Wednesday afternoon.
During the operation, investigators recovered €638,000, a cash counter and money laundering paraphernalia.
The cash and items were seized after a car and a house were searched in the Cabra area of Dublin.
Gardai suspect the cash was due to be brought outside the country to pay for drug shipments.
We also understand the swoop is linked to another cash seizure at Dublin Airport earlier this year.
The suspect is believed to work for a number of Irish crime gangs and also Russian mobsters based in Ireland.
One source said: “The man who has been arrested is suspected of being a facilitator for a number of Irish crime gangs.
“His associates specialise in laundering cash and moving it out of the country.
“Once the cash is outside the country it is often used to pay for drug shipments and other forms of criminality.
“They are understood to be part of a network who specialise in money laundering and they will work with any criminal gang who wants to launder their proceeds from serious criminal activity.”
“Due to the recent operations against them their operations have now been significantly disrupted.”
Under Operation Tara, Gardai have been tasked with disrupting the activities of drug gangs operating all over Ireland.
Gardai confirmed the investigation was ongoing.
A spokesperson said: “As a result of ongoing investigations targeting organised crime activity under Operation Tara, €638,000 in cash, a money counter and money laundering paraphernalia was recovered.
“One male was arrested in relation to facilitating and enhancing money laundering activities for an organised crime group and is currently detained at a Dublin Garda station.”
