GNBCI raid sites in neighbouring counties

 

The Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) are conducting planned searches at locations in Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Westmeath and Kilkenny.

A total of seven sites are being searched including farms, houses and a commercial premises, in an operation carried out with assistance from officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

The searches are part of an ongoing investigation being conducted by members of the GNBCI into offences of deception pursuant to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud) Offences Act, 2001. This surrounds fraudulent practices regarding the alleged tampering of identification passports and microchips of horses presented for slaughter in this jurisdiction.

The GNBCI led operation is being further supported by officers from, Criminal Assets Bureau, Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau.

“For operational reasons and as this is a search and evidence gathering phase of an ongoing investigation, An Garda Síochána will not be commenting further at this time,” a spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said in a statement issued this morning.