A 37-year-old man who was arrested in the Crumlin area of the capital this morning is suspected of being one of the main players in a €6 million international invoice redirect fraud being directed from Ireland.
The Nigerian national is being questioned under anti-gangland legislation as is a 37-year-old woman who is originally from Ghana who was arrested in the Santry area of Dublin’s northside.
They are being held at Pearse Street and Kevin Street Garda stations.
The arrest of the duo by detectives from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) is considered “highly significant” and brings to 10 the amount of people arrested as part of the fraud squad’s Operation SKEIN.
Some of the suspected stolen goods recovered by the gardaí
Invoice redirection fraud happens when a person or a business fall prey to requests, purporting to emanate from trusted suppliers or service providers, into believing that a beneficiary’s bank account details have been changed.
As a result, funds that are due to be paid out are transferred to a fraudulent account.
Officers from the GNECB established that the €55,000 had ended up in the bank account of a Co Monaghan based woman who is closely associated to the man who was arrested yesterday.
Further investigations showed that €33,000 of this money was used to make “high end purchases” in the Grafton Street area of the capital between last St Stephen’s Day and December 31.
Specialist gardaí are attempting to identify international crime gangs who are carrying out organised scams in a bid to steal people’s identities – so that they can fraudulently claim Covid-19 PUP and other benefits from the State.
A CONSTRUCTION worker will be sent forward to the Circuit Court accused of using a GoCar rental to travel around Dublin and steal over €8,500 from bank machines.
Elvis Chiriac (34), with an address at Erris Square, Blanchardstown, Dublin was charged with 15 counts of theft, of sums totalling €8,520, from ATMs in January last year.
The thefts were alleged to have happened at AIB bank machines at Firhouse, Rathfarnham, Santry, Artane, Clonee, Carpenterstown, Crumlin, Killiney, Clonskeagh.
He appeared again at Dublin District Court before Judge Treasa Kelly who was told the Director of Public Prosecution has directed trial at Circuit Court level, which, on conviction, can result in lengthier sentences. He could also be sent forward for sentencing in a procedure called a signed plea.