LIVE: Gardai seize large amount of cash in cooler bag as part of money laundering probe

Gardai discovered a significant quantity of cash in a cooler bag during searches targeting a suspected money laundering operation in Dublin and Cork.

As part of the ongoing investigation into significant cash withdrawals from ATMs in both counties, they say a search operation was carried out in the Lucan area of Dublin on Monday evening.

The cash withdrawals at the centre of the investigation took place between August 11 and September 9 and two arrests were  made at the weekend.

The transactions involved the use of bank cards linked to accounts in Poland and Norway and as part of the GNECB-led operation, gardaí say located and searched a vehicle in the Lucan area last Saturday.

During the search, a substantial quantity of cash and multiple bank cards were recovered. A further search was carried out at a residence in Cork where gardaí recovered additional cash, foreign currency, false identification documents, bank cards and mobile phones.

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Further seizures were made during Monday evening's search including €236,855 in cash, 660 Polish zloty, 9 passports, 5 driving licences and 3 identity cards. Photographs released by gardai show some of the money was found in what appears to be a cooler bag.

In an update, issued this Tuesday, gardai say the man, aged in his 30s, who was arrested on Saturday remains in Garda custody under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.

The woman, also aged in her mid 30s, has been released without charge and a file will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Gardai say a total of €322,855 in cash has now been seized as part of this investigation and that  investigations are ongoing.