Gardaí raid 15 houses over global money laundering

GARDAÍ yesterday raided the homes of Irish-based Nigerian criminals in an operation targeting a multi-million euro international money-laundering racket.

Officers from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau searched 15 houses in Dublin, Meath, Laois, Louth and Kildare yesterday.

The Irish Daily Mail understands that the ‘core group’ of criminals suspected of running the operation were targeted in the raids.

However, the gang are believed to have recruited over 100 of their fellow countrymen to open bank accounts and ‘wash’ large sums of money.

Yesterday’s raids were focused on criminals believed to be laundering the money on behalf of other criminals involved in this type of crime. Some of the cash, estimated at €15million, was stolen in invoice redirection fraud.

This involves sending bogus emails to businesses from existing suppliers advising them of new bank details.

Subsequent invoice payments are then made in error to the fraudsters’ accounts and the money is then moved on and disguised through a series of bank accounts in Ireland and abroad.

Gardaí have asked the banks in Ireland to close some 350 accounts suspected of being used in the fraud.

Detective Garda Superintendent Alf Martin said he believed there would be arrests and ‘we would foresee criminal charges’.

The Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and armed support units helped during the raids.