The Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) has seized six vehicles, frozen 17 bank accounts and confiscated cash and luxury items in a major operation involving more than 150 Garda members in Co Kildare.
Two suspects have been arrested, men aged 19 and 40 years, on suspicion of deception-based frauds as part of an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by both Cab and detectives from Tallaght, Dublin.
The 17 now-frozen bank accounts were discovered during a lengthy investigation and contained a cumulative €495,000.
Cab's officers, backed by specialist units and gardaí from Dublin and Kildare, moved in on properties in Newbridge early on Tuesday morning, when eight private homes were raided in a coordinated operation.
Two offices of companies providing professional services were also searched in a bid to find evidence of property purchases, cash transfers and other transactions conducted by the criminals under investigation.
During Tuesday's searches some €51,000 in cash was seized, along with eight Rolex watches, two Chanel bags, a Canada Goose jacket, three 201 Ford Focus cars, a 202 Ford Transit van, a 202 Citroën Berlingo and a 191 Volkswagen Golf.
Cab's officers were supported by the armed Emergency Response Unit and the Eastern Region Armed Support Unit. Garda investigators from the Tallaght district detective unit were also centrally involved in the operation, with colleagues from the Kildare divisional detective unit, the Garda National Immigration Bureau, the Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit and the Garda Dog Unit.
The organised crime gang targeted has been under investigation for some time and while the primary suspects are based around the Newbridge area, the group has a reach well beyond Co Kildare.
The two men arrested were taken to Tallaght Garda station where they were questioned about alleged offences contrary to Section 6 (Deception) of the Theft and Fraud Offence Act.
