He identified the business as being involved in ‘removal services’.
The document obtained by this newspaper show Andrew Pender, a key ally of CAB targets David and Christopher Waldron, registered Tech Recovery Ireland as a ‘business name’ on November 24th, 2021.
He identified the business as being involved in ‘removal services’.
The documents show how, in total, Pender paid just €20 as a Company Registration Office ‘submission fee’ – after which he had a legitimate front behind which he could disguise his smuggling activities.
Andrew Porter set up a front company to hide his drug dealing
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – July 19th
Pender also had the Tech Recovery Ireland logo printed on his vehicles in a bid to throw off suspicion when he was moving drugs around the capital.
On Wednesday of this week, coke addicted Pender, who lost part of his nose due to his addiction, was jailed for 15 years in connection with a €9 million seizure of cocaine , cannabis, MDMA and ketamine from a shipping container and €1.1 million in cash in July of last year.
The 52-year-old, from Ely Green in Dublin, was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to drugs trafficking and money laundering.
Speaking afterwards, Assistant Commissioner Paul Cleary said that Pender operated a sophisticated drug trafficking distribution network and was observed personally delivering large quantities of drugs to communities around Dublin, particularly in the north and west of the city.
The Assistant Commissioner said the case was a very good example of how the gardaí targets drug trafficking at all levels.
“We do believe Andrew Pender was affiliated with a group in north and west Dublin and those investigations are live and ongoing,” he said.
The Sunday World understands this was a reference to the gang run by brothers David and Christoper Waldron – both of whom have been targeted by CAB and who the High Court was told took a leading role in sourcing and supplying drugs in the Cabra area following the murder of Eamon Dunne in 2010.
David Waldron
At his sentencing hearing, the court heard Pender was a major Dublin drug dealer who was in full control of a multi-million euro cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, ecstasy (MDMA) and money laundering network.
He ran a sophisticated operation, which included storing the drugs in a shipping container, moving them and large bundles of cash in concealed compartments in specially modified vehicles and establishing shell companies to conceal the movements of the drugs and cash.
He was targeted by An Garda Síochána’s Dublin Crime Response Team set up to provide what gardaí say is an immediate and dynamic response to organised crime in the city, including drugs, burglary, money laundering, car theft, feud related activity and drug related intimidation.
Pender was targeted when gaps were identified in opportunities to tackle Dublin mid-level organised crime groups.
An intelligence-led operation was established focussing on Pender, who operated as independent drugs trafficker working to keep below the garda radar.
Christopher Waldron
He was stopped in a 19 D registered Peugeot car on the Finglas Road in Dublin at 6.30pm on Friday 19 July 2024.
Drugs and cash were discovered in a car, shipping container and a box van
A small amount of cocaine and over €9,000 in cash was found hidden in his car. Keys were also found for the drugs storage unit.
In simultaneous follow up searches, another €8.9m worth of drugs and over €1.1m in cash were found in a shipping container and a box van in a yard at the Ward in Co Dublin. The money was packed in 16 bales, sealed in duct tape.
Pender was renting the land for €200 a month.
Another €44,690 in cash was also found in two homes in Tallaght linked to Pender.
In all, gardaí recovered over €1.15m in cash as part of the investigation along with a stolen full garda uniform with PPE equipment, epaulettes and a garda stab vest..
Detective Inspector Ken Holohan of the Dublin Crime Response Team told the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Pender told gardaí several “self-serving lies” when interviewed, including denying significant wrongdoing.
Judge Crowe described Pender’s as a highly sophisticated operation.
Pender, she said, managed an entire cell, registered fake companies and arranged the false registration of the two cars.