The gang have been the targets of a major investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau
The west Dublin man is suspected of being the main player in a gang who were involved in the theft of the money from a major Irish bank in January of last year after they found a weakness in its online platform.
“After getting away with over €800,000 they set up around 60 bank accounts using forged passports and other documents which they then got credit cards,” a senior source explained.
Fake passport
News in 90 Seconds – Tuesday, November 11
“Then they did big purchases of high end goods while also lodging forged cheques into the fraudulent accounts and then carrying out cash withdrawals of this money from ATM’s,” the source added.
The gang have been the targets of a major investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) who previously seized a lot of the high end goods that were fraudulently obtained during a search of the arrested suspect’s home.
Aged in his 40s, he was arrested at his west Dublin home yesterday and is being questioned under organised crime legislation that can attract a maximum prison sentence of life and can he held for questioning for up to seven days.
Passport card seized by gardai
Investigations have established that the arrested man was giving orders to others in the crime organisation.
A woman known to the chief suspect has also been arrested as part of the investigation and she is suspected of using a false name while making credit card purchases.
Yesterday gardai issued photos of some of the false documents used by the gang including fake Irish driving licences, passports and identity cards when they announced details of the arrest which is being described as “very significant.”
Mobile phones and other devices have also been seized and are being analysed with key informational already obtained.
This week’s GNECB investigation is just their latest against organised fraud gangs operating here.
Last week they carried out a separate probe called Operation MEELAGH which led to 21 suspects being charged with money laundering offences over a three day period.
Up to six others suspects were dealt with under the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme and will not face prosecution in court.
“Operation MEELAGH was an investigation into Covid fraud,” a source pointed out,
“In this case personal data of people stolen was by an employee of an accountancy firm and used to claim over €400k in Covid PUP payments.
“Money was laundered through these mules who were subject to arrest and in most cases being charged last week before various district courts,” the source explained.
Unlike in this week’s case investigations have established that members of Black Axe were involved in the overall perpetration of this particular scam however none of these senior players are before the courts yet in relation to it.
Last week’s operation was part of the wider Operation SKEIN which investigates international criminal organisations that commit fraud worldwide and launder the proceeds through networks of bank accounts in Ireland.
Since 2020, Gardaí have identified over 1,400 potential suspects involved in the theft and laundering of almost €100 million. To date, almost 700 people have been arrested as part of this operation. Over half of these have been charged with gangland offences as well as money laundering.
The arrests were made by the GNECB and Gardaí all over Ireland.