Man caught with €1.6m cash in secret car compartments jailed for six years
Isabel Hayes
A money launderer who was caught with €1.6 million in cash in secret compartments in two cars, along with €11,000 worth of drugs in his penthouse apartment, has been jailed for six years.
Karl Duggan (38) was arrested in January 2021 at a Dublin hotel by gardaí who had been given a confidential tip-off, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Monday.
At the same time, his penthouse apartment in Sheiling Square, Howth Road, Raheny, Dublin 5, was raided by gardaí, Detective Garda David Dunne told George Burns BL, prosecuting.
A sum of €5,745 in cash was found in his home, along with money laundering equipment including a money counter and vacuum pack bags. When gardaí searched two cars at the property, they found hidden compartments in the base of the vehicles. A sum of €1,225,375 was discovered in one car and €389,920 was found in another.
Cocaine, cannabis resin and alprazolam with a combined street value of around €11,000 were also found in one of the cars, as well as 12 burner phones. A watch worth €24,500 was also seized.
Duggan, with an address at Finn Eber Court, Finglas, Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing the proceeds of crime, one count of possessing cocaine for sale or supply and one count of possessing a car that was fitted with a concealment, giving rise to the inference it was connected with a drug trafficking offence. All of the offences took place on January 17th, 2021.
A number of other counts were taken into consideration. Duggan has no previous convictions.
The court heard Duggan fled the jurisdiction in the wake of the Garda raid, but returned voluntarily after two years.
Jailing him on Monday, Judge Martin Nolan said Duggan was involved in money laundering and drugs, and there were signs of wealth associated with that criminality. He said Duggan deserved a severe sentence and he jailed him for six years.
Paul Comiskey O'Keeffe BL, defending, said Duggan comes from a hard-working family. He witnessed the death of his brother in 2016, which the court heard worsened a long-standing drug problem.
He has a perforated nasal septum as a result of his addiction to cocaine.
Mr Comiskey O'Keeffe said Duggan is working on becoming drug-free and wishes to change his life. He has three small children and his father died late last year, the court heard. A number of testimonials were handed into court on his behalf.
