File sent to DPP as gardaí release man arrested after raids targeting ‘ghost brokers’

Gardaí seize goods and freeze bank accounts in operation against car insurance scam

Gardaí investigating an insurance scam have released a man without charge, and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

So called "ghost brokers" have been selling insurance to unsuspecting customers despite not being licensed by the Central Bank.

The move against the suspects follows a warning to motorists from the Garda in July about so-called ghost brokers. These brokers present to customers, usually over the phone, as middle men who claim they can purchase insurance for clients and save them money.

The Garda said insurance policies were being purchased from legitimate companies using false information and then changed before being sold on to customers.

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Fake policy documents designed to look like they have been issued by legitimate insurance companies are created and sold on to customers, usually for about €300-€500.

Proposal forms are put through a third party before submission to a legitimate insurance company.

As part of the investigation, gardaí searched premises on Wednesday in the greater Dublin area.

They seized a large amount of cash along with a number of high value watches, five motor vehicles, an imitation firearm and a small quantity of drugs.

Six bank accounts with an amount in excess of €200,000 were frozen.

A man in his mid-thirties was arrested after a search of a house in Lucan. He was held in Ronanstown Garda station but was released without charge on Friday morning.

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter with The Irish Times