Glam couple who had €1m drug charge dropped hit hard as CAB seizes luxury mansion and Mercedes

Eduard, 49 and Natalia, 42, Chiper, originally from Moldova but living outside Drogheda in Co Louth, were being pursued by the CAB in the High Court to take their two-storey luxury mansion at The White House, Tullyard in Ballymakenny, and other assets off them under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

A glamorous couple, who had €1m drug charges against them dropped five years ago, have settled a case with the Criminal Assets Bureau - allowing their luxury property and other assets worth €170k to be seized.

Eduard, 49 and Natalia, 42, Chiper, originally from Moldova but living outside Drogheda in Co Louth, were being pursued by the CAB in the High Court to take their two-storey luxury mansion at The White House, Tullyard in Ballymakenny, and other assets off them under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

In June, the couple consented for a receiver to be appointed to take charge of a 171 E220 Mercedes which was purchased new for approximately €70k.

On Friday, counsel for the CAB told Mr Justice Alexander Owens, the couple have agreed, on consent, to settle the case.

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Assets seized and agreed by the couple to be returned to the Exchequer include their luxury mansion with 90% of the net sale going to the Exchequer and 10% going back to the couple; a 171 Mercedes E220 purchased new for €70k; a total of €98k from various bank accounts and €5k in cash.

“There is agreement on consent on behalf of both parties,” counsel for the CAB said.

Mr Justice Owens said he notes the undertaking and agreement of the respondents and made no order for costs.

The couple were previously fighting the case against them and in February Mr Justice Owens gave the couple time “to sort yourselves out” and gave them six weeks to file outstanding affidavits, a quantity surveyor affidavit and a forensic accountant’s affidavit.

Earlier we revealed the glam couple were charged five years ago, in 2019, with being in possession of the cannabis herb worth €940,000 with the intent to sell or supply under Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

They were both also charged with simple possession of the drug under Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

They had both appeared before Drogheda District Court at the time and had been remanded in custody before bail applications were successfully granted after two independent sureties - described in the district court as “family friends” each lodged €15,000 cash bail which was approved by the district court.

It was alleged then that after a planned search of their premises in Ballymakenny, Co Louth was searched by detectives from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, assisted by officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau, that cannabis herb with a street value of €940,000 was discovered.

However, in September of 2019, when directions were due from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Drogheda District Court was informed by the court presenter that the DPP had withdrawn the charges against the couple.

On hearing the DPP’s directions, Judge Eireann McKiernan then struck out the charge.

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