Gardaí have arrested in total five men in counties Tipperary, Westmeath, Cork and Roscommon.
The arrests are part of further investigation into invoice redirection fraud involving some €6.3 million; of which €5 million was possibly lodged or moved through bank accounts here in the Irish republic.
Of the men detained, four are understood to be from Romania and one from Nigeria. Previously, a female associate of the men arrested was herself taken into custody in Co Tipperary, late last year, when she attempted to withdraw €31,000 from a bank account, which was suspected to contain the proceeds of invoice redirect fraud.
Yesterday morning, officers attached to the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) made four arrests following a number of planned searches carried out in Co. Tipperary, Co. Cork, and Co. Roscommon.
The four arrested individuals, all understood to be aged between 23 and 35 years of age, were detained at garda stations in Tipperary town, and Middleton, Mallow, Fermoy Co. Cork, under Section 50, of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.
Last evening, in a follow up operation, a fifth man, understood to be aged in his 20s, was also arrested in Co. Westmeath. Latter is currently being detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 in Castlerea Garda Station, Co. Roscommon, where he can be held for questioning for up to seven days.
Four of yesterdays arrests were made under as part of Operation BOXPLOT, while the fifth man, also arrested yesterday, was detained under Operation SKEIN. All are being questioned in relation to the laundering of the proceeds of international invoice re-direct fraud.
To current date, 22 individuals have been arrested as part of Operation SKEIN, and Operation BOXPLOT; with further investigations ongoing.
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