A 23-year-old man arrested after Gardaí seized cryptocurrency worth €6.5m in a ‘darknet’ money laundering raid in Dublin is due in court this evening.

The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) carried out the raid at a residence in North County Dublin on Monday morning.

Detectives launched the operation as part of an investigation into the sale of illegal material on ‘Darknet Markets’ and money laundering, “involving extensive use of cryptocurrencies”.

During the searches, Gardaí uncovered cryptocurrency, namely Bitcoin and Monero, with a current market value of around €6.5 million.

They also seized luxury brand watches worth more than €120,000 and two high-powered vehicles valued in the region of €220,000.

Darknet

GNCCB Detective Superintendent Michael Mullen said the search and arrests come after a “highly complex investigation into criminal 'Darknet Marketplace' activities by specialist investigators”.

He said the operation shows that Ireland is not “a safe place for persons involved in any form of criminality”.

He said it also highlights the determination of the Gardaí to “prevent those involved in criminality of benefitting financially from same, irrespective of what form such profits takes”.

“I would also like to reassure the public that this Darknet market, where illegal goods and services were for sale, is no longer in operation,” he said.

Arrests

Two men, aged 23 and 49 years old, were arrested on suspicion of Enhancing the Capability of a Criminal Organisation to Commit a Serious Offence and were held at Garda Stations in Dublin.

A 32-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of money laundering offences.

The woman has since been released alongside the 49-year-old man.

A file is due to be submitted to the DPP.

The 23-year-old man is due before the Criminal Courts of Justice this evening.