Thursday October 15 marks 30 years since the foundation of the Criminal Assets Bureau, or CAB as it became to be known. 

30 years ago, a shocking incident occurred in our country, as journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered on her way home from a court appearance.

As a result, the state created the Criminal Assets Bureau, which carries out investigations into assets that are suspected of being derived, directly or indirectly, from criminal conduct.

Speaking on the group's big anniversary with The Pat Kenny Show, journalist Paul Williams explained how Veronica Guerin's death spurred on the Bureau's creation.

Mr Williams explained: "Well, it truly is perhaps one of the most remarkable stories in the history and in the evolution of law enforcement in Ireland and criminal justice in Ireland.

"Basically, in the summer of 1996, as a lot of people know, and we celebrated or commemorated the 30th anniversary of that awful event in the summer of 1996, that was the murder of our colleague and friend, Veronica Guerin, which was unprecedented and deeply shocking.

"It really was one of those seminal events in our social history in this country, but it resulted in creating the impetus and the enthusiasm and the energy required to create an equally unprecedented and draconian law enforcement agency, which was basically the establishment of the Criminal Assets Bureau.

"It officially and legally came into being on this day 30 years ago. However, it was operating for at least six weeks before that and was already making its mark."

Veronica was murdered by John Gilligan's gang, as she had gone and asked him the one question nobody had dared to up until that point: Where did you get the millions of pounds you have at your disposal to build this huge equestrian centre he was building out near Enfield?

Mr Gilligan was displaying unprecedented wealth, even though he was on the dole, and according to Mr Williams, that was the "wake-up call for our society", as people finally realised "what crime is all about".

"It's all about the money. Everything comes back to the money," he said.

Miss Justice Catherine McGuinness heard the case against John Gilligan in March 1997, and delivered her judgement on the Criminal Assets Bureau on the first anniversary of Veronica's murder, on the 26th of June, 1997.

Mr Williams added: "She said that the Gardaí who had testified, quoted, painted a picture of an entirely new type of professional criminal who organised, rather than committed crime, and thereby rendered himself virtually immune to the ordinary procedures of criminal investigation and prosecution.

"So, you know, 30 years on, the Criminal Assets Bureau is still... the shine has not gone off it. It is still a very powerful entity, it is still a hugely important entity, and long may it freeze and seize, and prosper, indeed."

Main image: Veronica Guerin Pic: File