Several people were arrested in Douglas, Passage West and Farran earlier today though this RTE report fails to mention that. A substantial sum of money was also found. I have little doubt it is related to the Northern Bank robbery in Belfast. One of those arrested is believed to have direct connections with Sinn Fein. Three men were also arrested in Dublin yesterday,£94,000 in cash was seized. I hope to have more details soon. Slugger has more details with alot of comments..
Update: (21.15)
From the grapevine here in Cork – and it should be made absolutely clear at this stage – nobody has been charged, and nobody has been found guilty of anything, people have only been arrested on suspicion, they are entitled to due process under the law. But these names will likely appear in tomorrow’s papers.
The money found in Farran in Cork, £2.6million, was apparently in a bin at the back of a house. The man arrested in connection with the investigation is Ted Cunningham, a financial services man for a company in Ballincollig. The woman arrested is his girlfriend.
The man arrested in Passage West is a former Sinn Fein counciller, Tom Hanlon(image), who is believed to have been found with £60,000 in Northern Bank notes. He is a painter by trade. He stood for election in Cork South Central in 2002.
To my knowledge, nobody has been charged as yet, they are being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
Update: 23.20
The Guardian has details on the grounds for arrest:
A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, kidnap, handling stolen goods and firearms offences. A second man and a 27-year-old woman are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, conspiracy to commit kidnap and firearms offences. The second man is also being held on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and conspiracy to commit kidnap. Two woman, two men and two girls are being held on suspicion of handling stolen goods.
This looks like Hanlon (‘second man’), who would be in his late 30’s now, may have been arrested on suspicion of very serious offences. It is hard to tell who Cunningham may be in that report.
What will it mean for Sinn Fein that a man who stood for election for them may be charged with these offences, that obviously relate to the Northern Bank robbery?
Update:
It is believed a large volume of data and files have been seized and are being examined. It is also believed that money was in the process of being shipped to the Continent in order to be laundered.
Update:
The Scotsman reports more details
Update:
Richard has pointed out that the Times of London has named Hanlon.
The arrest in Cork comes after weeks of denials by Sinn Fein that the IRA was involved. Tom Hanlon, who in the past stood for the Irish Parliament as a Sinn Fein candidate and is a former councillor, was arrested with two other men and a woman. Three more men were arrested in Dublin.
Update:
Rumours abound of more arrests in other counties.
Update:(Feb 18, 8.50)
It seems like the rumours of more arrests has been proved right, the Irish Times reports:
Garda raids were continuing last night in Louth, Meath and Westmeath after euro and sterling notes worth a total of €3.6 million were seized in Dublin and Cork.
Update: (Feb 18, 9.00)
Richard goes into the detail of links with the government via an article by Sam Smyth. Richard notes:
Unimaginable buzz at moment – sources close to government say the next 48 hours are going to be a whirlwind. So fasten your seatbelts, kids. We’re in for a bumpy weekend.
Comments
14 responses to “Arrests in Cork”
Any idea who the SF guy from Passage is?
Cheers Gavin!
This guy was heavily involved with David Cullinane election campaign for Europe last summer. http://www.sipo.gov.ie/2902_246.htm
Fantastic stuff – you’re already winning awards as a result!
The Times just named them as well. Here. Still, well done. You scooped Mr Murdoch.
Way to scoop, Gavin
Kudos,
Tom
The Irish Times leads (not naming Hanlon but readily identifiable to anyone who wants to figure it out – why do they bother?), and adds these tantalising details:
“Gardaà strongly believe that some or all of the cash seized was part of the haul from the raid on the Northern Bank in Belfast before Christmas.
The home of a close relative of a man working in a key position for the Government was among the premises raided in Co Louth, although he was not arrested. A Cork businessman is also among those arrested.
Last night a man walked into Anglesea Street Garda station in Cork and handed gardaà more than £200,000 in cash. He is believed to have been given the money to hide by one of those arrested.”
Well done, but don’t end up like Veronica Geurin!
Du you know the names of the 2 lads from Derry
who where arrested in Dublin?
Te Irishnews has named them!
Well done Gavin – so much for Irish blogs being disinterested in politics eh -just goes to show that all politics is local, now about those dublin addresses 😉
This is blatant propaganda – there’s nothing in the Good Friday agreement about the IRA not being allowed to kidnap and threaten the lives of bank officials’ families or kill people in random acts of thuggery.
are there any images i can go to look at regarding these stories?i cant find anything (due to it being 8mths on maybe!!).Im particulary interested in the men from passage.
thanks
Mr Cunningham is the owner and director of the financial services company in cork which in essence is a loanshark company by which such companies charge high interest rate repayments from cash strapped usually working class people. SF is regarded as being a party of socialist idealism so why is it being represented by capitalist me feiners? Maybe its time for a true and pure socialist party to emerge with ideals to represent the common working class interests.
Any update on the above