KillarneyToday.com

EXCLUSIVE

A MASSIVE Garda operation, involving the Criminal Assets Bureau and a total of 130 Gardai, was staged in Killarney this morning resulting in several high-end vehicles, huge amounts of cash and expensive jewellery being seized.

A total of 11 residential properties were raided in the early morning probe which has been described as one of the biggest ever Garda investigations in the Kerry area.

The events were part of Operation Tarmac which is a nationwide crackdown on rogue and bogus builders who are being investigated for making exorbitant sums of money from shoddy workmanship.

Gardaí from the Kerry and Cork area, Criminal Assets Bureau officers and scene of crime investigators were backed up by the armed support unit and the public order unit when the raids commenced shortly after 6.00am.

A number of houses in the Ballyspillane Estate were targeted as well as another house on Park Road.

A total of nine vehicles were seized, the majority of which were exclusive makes and models, including powerful BMW cars and X5 jeeps and state-of-the-art Mercedez Benz. The estimated total value of the vehicles is understood to be in excess of €400,000.

A caravan, understood to have been stolen, was also taken into the possession of Gardaí.

In addition, in excess of €100,000 in cash was seized from the homes that were raided as well as expensive jewellery, including Rolex and Cartier watches worth thousands of euro.

As part of the investigation, a number of bank accounts, understood to be holding significant cash deposits, have been frozen throughout the country and several documents have been taken from the Killarney properties to be evaluated and assessed.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

The massive Garda operation was led by Supt Flor Murphy from Killarney Garda Station and traffic entering and leaving the residential areas involved was closely monitored by uniformed Gardaí.

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