The money had been seized in a joint customs and police cross-border raid at the family property in County Louth near Northern Ireland conducted two years ago, and since held by Ireland's Criminal Assets Bureau.
Patrick and Frank Murphy, brothers of the former IRA chief of staff, gave written consent, while Thomas gave verbal conset, to have the money forfeited to the Ministry of Finance. High Court Justice Frank Clarke had ruled the day before that the money was the proceeds of criminal activity, and ordered the money handed over to the state.
A company called Ace Oils, Ltd., allegedly the Murphy brothers' front, was also listed as a defendant in the case. Tom, Frank and Patrick Murphy have been involved in oil smuggling and distribution, as well as money laundering, for the past twenty years, according to Chief Supt McKenna of the Criminal Assets Bureau, a veteran of the case.
The Murphys' property, which straddles the border with Northern Ireland, was raided on March 9th, 2006. The money was found in black plastic bags located inside a cattle shed owned by Patrick Murphy.
OCCRP reported in September on the family's purchase of large tracts of land on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, along Burgas bay. According to police, the Murphys had cultivated ties within Bulgaria through the illegal cigarette trade.
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