Law « Thurles Information

€900K Stolen From Students In Rental Fraud Incidents.

An Garda Síochána are advising students and parents in Co. Tipperary and elsewhere, to be aware of rental accommodation scams, especially at this time of year, as students are preparing to return to college. A known €900,000 has been stolen in rental scams over the past 3 years; same transactions which become almost impossible to trace .

Due mainly to Covid-19 restrictions, accommodation frauds have declined over the past 15 months, however Gardaí are once again highlighting such incidents of fraud which could affect not just a new generation of third level students seeking accommodation, but also the lives of those already established within our education system.

Gardaí highlight a total of 503 cases of rental fraud, reported between February 1st, 2019 and May 31st, 2021; of which just 50% occurred in the Dublin city area.

Some 42% of all the injured parties were under the age of 25 years, while some 72% were under the age of 35 years.

Gardaí are asking those in search of rented accommodation to be wary especially if a website or other advertising agency is asking prospective tenants to send money to a random PayPal address, wire same via Western Union, pay in gift cards or in cryptocurrency; since the latter methods are used to avoid detection thus ensuring that such transaction can never be reversed.

More Gardaí Interviewed Over Alleged Cancellation Of Penalty Notices.

We reliably understand that at least a further 12 individual members of an Garda Síochána have now been interviewed at a Limerick Garda station, following an investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigations (GNBCI) into alleged cancellations of fixed charge penalty notices and similar court summonses.

We further understand that none of the Gardaí; all who were interviewed by scheduled appointment and under caution, were arrested.

Allegations against members of the Garda force serving in Tipperary, Clare, Kerry, Wicklow, Galway, Waterford, and the Dublin Metropolitan Region, are also the subject of similar investigations.

Books of evidence have already been served, in early July of this year, on four serving Gardaí and one retired Garda Superintendent, all who stand accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice, over a three-year period.

Same Garda force members are awaiting trial on a total of 42 counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice as part of this same GNBCI probe. All allegations relate to the cancellation of fixed charge notices which in turn relate to speeding; driving without insurance; failing to produce insurance and the handling of mobile phones, while driving.

The five accused facing trial at Limerick Circuit Court are Garda Mr Tom McGlinchey, aged 49, with an address in Co. Tipperary; Superintendent Mr Eamon O’Neill, (retired) aged 54; Garda Mr Colm Geary aged 35; Sergeant Ms Anne Marie Hassett aged 37, (previously named three Garda members having addresses in Co Clare), and Sergeant Ms Michelle Leahy, aged 45, with an address in Co Limerick.

The internal probe is being led by Chief Superintendent Ms Angela Willis, whose promotion to the head of the specialised garda investigation unit, was announced recently.

Drugs – Some Destined for Tipperary – Seized At Dublin Postal Sorting Centre.

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool Bailey, Sam and Flynn”. – With apologies to President Abraham Lincoln

Drug parcels with street value contents estimated at some €108,000; some of which were intended for Co. Tipperary, have now been seized by Revenue officers at a Dublin Mail Centre.

Following a routine operation yesterday, some 5.3kgs of herbal cannabis, almost 270g of cannabis oil , together with butane honey oil (Latter a relatively new method of administering or ingesting cannabis, known in the trade as ‘Dabs’, ‘Shatter’, or ‘Wax Butter’ ) and 450g of cannabis edibles, (e.g. Infused Chocolate, Jelly Gummies, Nut Butter etc), were located by Revenue detector dog “Bailey”.

The seizures announced today are part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the importation of illegal drugs.

The illegal drugs were located we understand in 21 separately, mailed packages that originated initially in Spain, United Kingdom and the USA.

These parcels had been declared as containing items such as ‘Pillows’, ‘Toys’, ‘Sports Shoes’, ‘Custom Stationary’ and ‘Wine Tubs’.

The parcels were destined for delivery in Tipperary, Clare, Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Clare, Kerry, Leitrim, Antrim, as well as to overseas destinations.

Further investigations are continuing.

**Heroin seized at Rosslare Europort, Co Wexford**.

Meanwhile, some 88kg of heroin, worth over €12 million, has been seized at Rosslare Europort in Co Wexford. Again Revenue officers detected the drugs yesterday afternoon, as part of an intelligence-led operation, aided by detector dogs ‘Sam’ and ‘Flynn’.

The discovery was made when a truck and low-loader trailer was stopped and searched, after it arriving into the Wexford port from mainland Europe.

Gardaí Investigate Vehicle Collision Near Thurles, Co. Tipperary

Thurles Gardaí attended at the scene of a road traffic collision in the area of the Horse & Jockey near Thurles, Co. Tipperary yesterday (August 3rd 2021) at approximately 5.50pm.

The Vehicles involved included a lorry and a motorcyclist.

A man understood to be from the locality, aged in his 50s was injured and taken to Cork University Hospital for treatment.

A man in his 80s was arrested and conveyed to Templemore Garda Station.
He was later released, pending a file being forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Investigations remain ongoing.

Motor Vehicles, Seized In Tipperary, Represent Proceeds Of Crime.

High Court judge, Mr Justice Alexander Owens has found that 84 motor vehicles and a trailer seized in Co. Tipperary represent the proceeds of crime. The property annexed, which were seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, remain one of the largest collections of such assets ever taken in just a single operation, since it began its operations some 25 years ago.

Mr Justice Alexander Owens made a similar finding with regards to €153,000 held in a car dealing company’s bank account in Bank of Ireland, Tralee, Co Kerry, controlled by a Lithuanian businesswoman, Agne Khan, and her brother-in-law, Jawad Khan.

Mr Justice Owens granted the bureau’s application for orders, under ‘section 3 of the Proceeds of Crime Act’, declaring the 84 vehicles, the trailer and the €153,000, as representing directly or indirectly the proceeds of crime.

From evidence presented by the Criminal Assets Bureau, the judge further concluded, that Agne Khan and her husband Khurran Khan, both of whom reside in the English west midlands, were central to large mandate frauds; while others, such as her brother-in-law, were employed in motor dealership businesses, latter used to launder the cash proceeds of same.

Mr Justice Owens stated that it was clear that the frauds have enriched the Khan family by some €3.5 million, and large elements of personal and business assets, under their control, were undoubtedly derived from fraud; the proceeds of which had been introduced into their motor dealerships both in England and Ireland.

Transactions, introducing capital from mandate frauds were used to buy vehicles which were traced to the motor dealing firm “Autology”, trading as “Autopace”, with registered offices at Unit 1, Ballywilliam, Carrigatoher, Nenagh. Khurran Khan had taken control of Autology from September 2018. Same began trading in used motor vehicles under the name Autopace. The judge further concluded that Agne Khan (latter married to Khurran Khan) and Jawad Khan (latter married to Simona Khan), controlled the ‘Autology’, bank account through Bank of Ireland, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

One other company, “SJK”, which had earlier traded from the same Tipperary address, also it was stated, did not accord with any honest or normal method of cash introduction into a business.
SJK Wholesale Ltd, was another motor dealing company controlled by the Khans, which ceased trading in late 2018 following tax irregularities which were uncovered in subsequent Revenue investigations.
It was estimated that the Khan family, in absconding from the SJK company, took with them all trading proceeds; leaving behind unpaid VAT liability to the Irish State of at least €623,000. The judge was satisfied the business affairs of SJK were controlled by Khurran Khan and a business associate.

Mr Justice Owens stated that Khurran Khan had a track record of significant criminal activity involving fraud through the control of Autology and a number of other companies and unincorporated business entities in Ireland and England.

Members of this Khan family were arrested in England back in September last and premises in England and Ireland had been searched, including the motor dealership premises at Ballywilliam, Nenagh and houses at Slate Quarry, Portroe, Tipperary and Killaloe, Co Clare.

In total, 89 vehicles and a trailer were seized here in Ireland, however five vehicles were deemed not to be associated with the Khans and were handed back to their original owners.

In 10 linked such frauds investigated under ‘Operation Brasenose’, more than €1.3 million was stolen. In another series of frauds concerning the NHS and investigated under ‘Operation Kangchenjunga’, more than €900,000 was stolen, High Court judge, Mr Justice Alexander Owens stated.