Judge orders forfeiture of seized drugs money

A major international operation by Irish Customs and Excise officers has culminated in an order by Judge Elizabeth Dunne at Dublin…

A major international operation by Irish Customs and Excise officers has culminated in an order by Judge Elizabeth Dunne at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the forfeiture by an Irish drugs gang of £52,105 sterling which was seized in 1998.

Judge Dunne granted the application by the Director of Public Prosecutions for the forfeiture of the money, valued at over £70,000 in Irish currency, which was seized on March 9th, 1998, by a Customs and Excise officer, Ms Roisin Wiseman, at Dublin Airport from a man named Stephen Paul Newman, who had just been booked on a flight to London.

Mr Newman (31), an Englishman, had been subjected to several days' surveillance by personnel from the Customs and Excise drugs team which had confidential information of his planned arrival.

His Amsterdam-Dublin flight had been diverted to Shannon Airport where his arrival was observed by two customs officers, Mr Michael McGill and Mr Flannan Quinlavan. He travelled to Dublin by bus on which one of his fellow passengers was Mr McGill who also monitored his movements in the city along with his colleague, Mr Finbar O'Leary, using separate cars in radio contact.

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Mr Newman booked into Buswell's Hotel where he remained for almost three days before being driven to Dublin Airport by a Belfast used-car salesman, Mr Kevin McAlorum.

Judge Dunne heard that Mr McAlorum handed over the £52,105 sterling to Mr Newman wrapped in plastic inside a holdall. He also bought a ticket for Mr Newman to travel to London.

Mr O'Leary, a Customs and Excise assistant principal officer, told Judge Dunne that Mr Newman told him he had no intention of appearing for the hearing when he telephoned him in Amsterdam to inform him of the forfeiture application.

Judge Dunne said the Customs and Excise officers had carried out comprehensive inquiries. The various people involved with the money had given conflicting and contradictory explanations about it and its purported use. Their stories were not credible.

She said the court had to be satisfied before ordering forfeiture of the money that it was being used in the course of drug-trafficking and bearing in mind all the matters which had been opened to her she granted the order sought by the DPP.