On Tuesday, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is set to brief the Cabinet on CAB’s achievements and outline her plans to significantly expand the bureau’s capabilities.

According to The Irish Times, Garda sources noted that the high value of assets seized and the substantial sums returned to the State last year were linked to the economic resurgence reminiscent of the Celtic Tiger era. This was coupled with a rise in drug demand, reflecting the Republic’s growing prosperity.

Cocaine demand, in particular, surged, despite the wholesale price of the drug rising from €25,000 to €40,000 per kilo over the past year due to large-scale cocaine seizures in the State.

Last year, CAB conducted 188 searches across 22 counties and held its first publicly advertised online auction, raising €446,000 from the sale of over 100 confiscated items, including watches and designer clothing.

Ms. McEntee is expected to present her plan to boost CAB’s capacity by 45% over the next two years as part of a new strategic initiative aimed at enhancing the bureau’s intelligence-gathering and enforcement efforts.

Additionally, the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill 2023, which Ms. McEntee plans to introduce to the Government in the coming weeks, will streamline CAB’s operations and strengthen its ability to tackle organized crime. This bill will reduce the waiting period for disposing of assets deemed to be proceeds of crime from seven years to two, even when contested by criminals.

In recent years, CAB has targeted high-profile figures, such as those in the Kinahan cartel and ‘The Family’ crime group, now Ireland’s largest drug-trafficking network. The bureau has also intensified its focus on lesser-known gang leaders across the country, with more active cases than ever before.