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CAB arrive to take Kinahan Cartel’s Ross Browning property bought with criminal cash

The property includes Chesnut Lodge at the Garristown where Browning’s mother Julie Conway and her partner ex-garda David O’Brien have been living.

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Gardaí arrived this morning at the home of the Kinahan Cartel’s No1 man in Ireland, Ross Browning, to take possession of the property.

This includes Chesnut Lodge at the Garristown where Browning’s mother Julie Conway and her partner ex-garda David O’Brien have been living.

The former detective was previously pictured at the scene where this morning the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) officers arrived to take over the property after getting a court order last February.

In his judgment, Judge Alex Owens said that the couple be allowed part of the proceeds from the renovated cottage into because they had put some of their own money.

This included €40,000 borrowed from the Garda Credit Union.

In his February judgement Judge Owens said that although Browning’s name was not on the properties, they were controlled by him, his partner Sinead Mulhall and his mother Julie Conway.

The Criminal Assets Bureau did not get everything their own way in the judgement with Judge Owens saying that there was not enough evidence to say that €2,800 cash found at Chestnut Lodge were criminal proceeds.

He also said the court was “reluctantly minded” to allow other provisions, ruling that Julie Conway and David O’Brien be allowed a quarter of “the net proceeds” of the sale of Chesnut Lodge.

CAB had stated a ‘third of a million’ euros was spent on cottage renovations although Julie Conway told investigators that the renovations were “all me and Dave” including €40,000 borrowed from St Raphael’s Garda Credit Union.

CAB’s case was that the ‘co-mingling’ of finances was used to hide the money’s origins.

Last month Judge Owens was told a letter had been handed personally to Ms Conway and another was left there for Mr O’Brien before making the order to allow CAB seize the property

A third house, on Deanstown Road in Finglas where an uncle of Browning lives was ordered to be handed overt omorrow with progress to reported at the High Court on Wednesday.

Two other parcels of land in Rush have already been taken over by CAB as have cash, jewellery and vehicles connected with the case.

Browning did not contest the €1.4 million case against him, but other family members who did, lost their legal battle last February

Paddocks and an indoor show-jumping arena were built at Garristown as well as the completely renovated Chestnut Lodge.

Browning, who is originally from Hardwicke Street in the north inner-city, was previously described in court as the Kinahan Cartel’s No.1 man in Ireland.

CAB stated in their in case that Browning was at the heart of a €1billion crime gang and was the Kinahan Cartel’s “principal representative” in Ireland.

Browning had tried to disguise his drug money in Ireland through his family members who in return enjoyed his generosity when it came to cars, jewellery and travel.

Browning’s top rank within the Kinahan Cartel emerged as it was revealed he had been a guest at Daniel Kinahan’s 2017 wedding at the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai.

It is not the first success by CAB against the Kinahan Cartel, after getting court orders to take over a luxury mansion at City West used by mob boss Daniel Kinahan.

The house at Coldwater Lakes was alleged to have been used by Jim Mansfield jr to pay back a debt to the cartel who had attempted to wash €5 million in dirty money through his property empire.