Drug dealer installed bulletproof windows before arson attack at Donegal property

A convicted drug dealer from Donegal had bulletproof windows installed before an arson attack destroyed his €250,000 property.

The Criminal Assets Bureau’s Annual Report, which was published on Wednesday, detailed an investigation into the assets of Desmond (Dessie) Enfield.

The bureau launched the investigation after receiving a referral from a Digital Asset Profiler attached to the Donegal Division.

Mr Enfield was known to Gardaí for being involved in the sale and supply of controlled drugs.

A search operation was conducted at a property which he had inherited whilst he was in prison.

READ NEXT: ‘Crazy’ for road works to begin in Letterkenny which is ‘jammed to the hilt’

A detailed surveyor report was obtained which estimated that €223,119 had been invested into the property, including the installation of bulletproof windows.

In 2020, the bureau obtained orders pursuant to sections 2 and 3 of the PoC Act over the property.

In May 2021, the individual signed a consent order allowing the property to be vested in the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

At the time, the property was in excellent condition and valued at €250,000. However, in August 2021, the property was subject to an arson attack.

It was damaged to the point that it could not be sold as a dwelling but rather as a site upon which a new property could be built.

The value of the site was estimated at €50,000 but sold in 2024 for €55,000. Despite the damage caused to the property, the bureau said its objective to deny and deprive was achieved in relation to the asset.