Man charged over €1.4m gold seizure in Dublin

A 55-year-old has appeared in court charged in connection with the seizure of €1.4 million worth of gold bullion in Dublin.

€460,000 in cash and €210,000 worth of cocaine and ecstasy were also seized during the operation last Friday and Saturday.

Farhats Bathijevs, with an address at Earlsfort Court in Lucan, was brought before Blanchardstown District Court this morning.

He was arrested on Friday by gardaí attached to the Dublin Crime Response Team.

18 kilograms of gold bars and coins were uncovered during searches of a business premises along with the cash, while the drugs were found during searches at a residential property.

Mr Bathijevs is facing ten charges in connection with the seizures.

Three of the charges relate to money laundering and three for theft and fraud relating to false documentation.

He is also charged with two counts of possession of ecstasy and cocaine and two counts of possession of ecstasy and cocaine for sale or supply.

Garda Sean McElroy from the Dublin Crime Response Team told the court after the accused was charged and cautioned at Ronanstown Garda Station, he made no reply to each of the charges.

Defence solicitor Ciaran MacLaughlin told the court an application for bail was not being made.

An application for free legal aid was deferred to a later date, to allow for a statement of means to be provided to the court.

Judge David McHugh remanded the accused in custody to Cloverhill Prison to appear in court again via video link on Friday 4 October.

Two women, aged in their 30s and 50s, have also been arrested in connection with the seizures.

They were arrested under drug trafficking legislation and can be held for up to seven days.