Suspect smugglers' assets frozen

The frozen assets are estimated at about £300,000

Two businessmen suspected of smuggling millions of pounds worth of alcohol have had their assets frozen.

The Assets Recovery Agency searched homes and business premises in Keady, County Armagh, and Dungannon, County Tyrone, using a High Court warrant.

About £300,000 in assets, including two houses, a series of companies and 11 bank accounts have been frozen.

A court receiver will now investigate the assets of Gerard Keenan and his brother Fearghal.

The ARA said the property was held in the brothers' names along with their wives and a number of other people.

The ARA said it was part of its case to the High Court that the main principle in managing the businesses was Gerard Keenan.

But his brother was a director of some of the companies and that "over a period of around two years processed over £4m of company funds through personal bank accounts", the ARA said.

'Built up empire'

It alleged that "these companies were vehicles for a significant operation smuggling alcohol from Europe into the UK and Ireland and evading excise duty within Northern Ireland".

It was the latest in a series of actions by the ARA in a crackdown against alleged organised and paramilitary crime gangs.

On Monday, the ARA froze assets of almost £500,000 belonging to a suspected drug dealer in Coleraine, County Londonderry.

Last month, it auctioned a County Down house which had belonged to a murdered loyalist paramilitary chief who is believed to have built up his empire through drug dealing.

The auction raised £410,000.