The Director of Public Prosecutions v Samuel McLoughlin

Amount Forfeited

€35,000

Court Date

12 March 2014

Venue

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

Judge

Mary Ellen Ring

Summary:

On 12 March 2014 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court ordered the forfeiture to the Exchequer of cash amounting to €35,000 pursuant to Section 39, Criminal Justice Act 1994, as amended by Section 21, Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005, on the grounds that it was proven on the balance of probabilities to represent the proceeds of crime, or was intended for use in criminal conduct.

On 25 January 2013 Revenue Enforcement Officers at Dublin Airport seized and detained the cash from Irish national, Samuel McLoughlin, as he was about to board a flight to Belgium. Following an investigation by Revenue’s Investigations and Prosecutions Division, a file on the matter was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions who ordered the forfeiture proceedings.

Mr McLoughlin had claimed that he was travelling to Belgium for onward travel to Cologne, Germany, in order to attend a furniture trade fair. He claimed that the cash was to be used to pay a supplier from Vietnam for furniture for his store Dundalk Furniture Direct Limited T/A Signature Furniture. However it was proven to the Court that these claims did not stand up to scrutiny.

Legal representatives consented to the application on behalf of Mr McLoughlin.