Court declares possessions of suspected Kinahan figure criminal proceeds

A Dublin court has determined that property seized from a man with suspected links to the Kinahan crime syndicate was acquired through illegal activity.

Court declares possessions of suspected Kinahan figure criminal proceeds

A Dublin judge has ruled that goods confiscated from a man tied to the Kinahan crime syndicate were funded through unlawful means.

The Criminal Assets Bureau accused Ciaran O'Sullivan (50), once living in Glenageary, of operating as an international narcotics dealer for over twenty years. According to BreakingNews.ie, the agency says he enjoyed an opulent way of life with no visible lawful earnings.

Investigators pointed to his children attending an expensive Swiss school as proof of unexplained wealth.

During a hearing on Wednesday, CAB counsel Jim Benson requested judicial orders concerning items taken from locations linked to O'Sullivan in June 2020. The collection included various mobile handsets, high-end timepieces, a designer briefcase, several thousand euros in notes, and a precious metal coin. Officials believe the accused distributed EncroChat units — encrypted communication tools popular among criminal networks.

Justice Alexander Owens approved the bureau's request for the tangible goods. Yet he rejected a bid to claim €16,350 sitting in an account registered to O'Sullivan's aunt, which had covered his child's tuition abroad. The magistrate deemed it unjust to strip an aged relative of retirement savings.

The decision also referenced proof of O'Sullivan's links to a Far Eastern laundering ring said to work with the Kinahan outfit. In earlier years, he had reportedly come under scrutiny in cross-border inquiries involving Irish and Dutch detectives examining gang operations.

Though lacking a criminal record in Ireland, O'Sullivan has reportedly faced drug convictions in Spain and the Netherlands and currently lives outside the country.

Source: BreakingNews.ie