The Special Criminal Court has heard a notorious criminal used "dirty money" to pay for a luxury watch and a penthouse suite in a 5-Star Dublin hotel.
Graham Whelan, of Walkinstown Avenue, Dublin 12, has pleaded guilty to three money laundering offences.
At 9pm on January 31st 2019, armed gardaí forced their way into the penthouse suite of the 5-star InterContinental Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
Graham Whelan, a well-known figure in organised crime, made a dash for the bathroom but was brought back into the living room.
A luxury diamond encrusted, customised watch, valued at €28,000, was seized from him during the raid.
He also had just over €1,200 cash on him and a receipt for the suite, which cost €2,140.
This isn’t Whelan’s first time before the courts. In 2001, he was jailed for 6 years after being caught with over €1.5m in ecstasy tablets and cocaine at another Dublin hotel.
He’ll be sentenced next month for the money laundering offences.
Reporting by Frank Greaney
