Three from Clare are charged in crime sting

Operation targeting organised crime gang yields cash, guns, drugs, cars and horses

THREE people with Clare addresses have appeared in court charged in connection with one of the biggest garda operations targeting serious crime.
Over half a million euro in cash and account funds; drugs; high-end vehicles; and horses including a €50,000 stallion, were seized during the major operation which took place in a series of raids, including along the Clare Limerick border.
The garda investigation, code-named ‘Operation Coronation’, was specifically launched last year to target the assets of the Limerick based Keane Collopy crime gang.
In excess of of 300 gardai from the Limerick Division, supported by national units, members of the Defence Forces, as well as officers from Revenue and Customs, swooped on 67 homes, premises, and lands.
Nineteen suspects were arrested, 14 were charged, and five remained in custody.
Two women and a man with Clare addresses were charged before Limerick District Court, Wednesday.
They are accused of offences under the Criminal Justice Money Laundering & Terrorist Finance Act, 2020.
They have yet to indicate a plea to the money-laundering related accusations that they knowingly had large cash sums which were the proceeds of crime.
The three Clare defendants are Paul Collopy, 46, of Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis; Nicole Williams, 29, Clonard, Westbury; and Heather McNamara, 38, with an address at Cliders Road, Cloughleigh, Ennis.
Mr Collopy, was remanded in custody on a charge of knowingly possessing €20,575 cash proceeds of crime, on March 5, 2020.
Ms Williams was remanded on bail on one count of knowingly handling/acquiring/possessing/using the proceeds of crime to the value of €71,340, on August 16, 2020.
Ms Williams is also charged with possession a canister of pepper spray on the same date, contrary to Section 2 of the Firearms Act, on the same date.
Ms McNamara was remanded on bail, on one count of knowingly possessing €20,575 cash proceeds of crime, at a property, at Cliona Park, Moyross, Limerick, on March 5, 2020.
Three others, with addresses in Limerick, also appeared before Judge Patricia Harney.
Leeann Carey, 41, and Patrick Moloney, 40, both of Sean Heuston Place, Garryowen, were each remanded on bail on a charge of knowingly possessing €32,090 cash, proceeds of crime, on a date in January 2021.
Mr Moloney was further charged with knowingly possessing €2,340 cash, on the same date.
A man, known as “Fat” John McCarthy, 50, with an address at Cliona Park, Moyross, Limerick, was also arrested during the major garda operation.
Mr McCarthy was remanded on bail to November 17 on charges of keeping two horses in contravention of local authority bylaws, and keeping two unlicensed horses, on September 7, 2021.
During Wednesday’s operation, gardai also seized a €10,000 horse box; five designer watches; €10,000 worth of cannabis herb and cocaine; drug paraphernalia; and documents which are being examined by the Criminal Assets Bureau. Eight others arrested were charged and received bail to appear in court at a later date.
A garda spokesman said Limerick gardai were supported by the “Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, the Emergency Response Unit, the Armed Response Unit, Regional Dog Unit, Air Support Unit”.
Tuesday’s searches were a follow-up to Operation Coronation in 2020, when gardai seized €700,000, drugs, guns, designer clothing, jewellery, cars, and the deeds to a Dubai property, as part of targeting the Keane Collopy drug gang.
Then gardai, again supported by members of the Defence Forces, found a handgun and a bolt-action rifle, as well as an extendable taser baton concealed in a plastic wrapping.
The 2020 raids targeted 67 homes, premises, and locations across Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, and 20 persons were arrested, with some charged with drugs offenses.
An Irish Defence Forces spokesman said: “Óglaigh na hÉireann deployed Engineer Specialist Search & Clearance Teams (1 Brigade Engineer Group) and platoons of soldiers from 12 Infantry Battalion (Limerick) and 1st Infantry Battalion (Galway) as part of ‘Operation Coronation’” to aid in the search of lands along the Clare Limerick border near Moyross.
“During this Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) operation our specialist teams and soldiers assisted a number of Garda Units during searches at dwellings, businesses and on land near the outskirts of Limerick City,” the spokesman added.

by David Raleigh