'COPS QUIZ SHANE ON CASH BAG'

**Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:15 pm**

from the Sun (via a kind poster at shanemacgowan.de forum)

Passport in holdall with 270,000
'Singer Shane MacGowan is to be quizzed by cops after his passpoet was found in a bag full of suspected hot money seized by customs officers on the French-Spanish border.
The legendary Pogues front man's Irish passport was discovered inside a holdall containing 270,000 in cash after an Irishman was stopped in Bayonne, southern France.
French police arrested a 59 year old man using an Irish name and seized the money in the swoop onm Sunday afternoon. During questioning they unearthed MacGowan's stolen passport and alerted Gardai.
Last night MacGowan's dad Maurice said his son was in Dublin with his girlfriend, journalist Victoria Mary Clarke, and had absolutely no knowledge his passport had been stolen.

(Page 7)
'Have you heard of a musician called Shane MacGowan'
French cops who found Shane MacGowan's passport in a bagful of suspected hot cash asked Gardai: "Have you ever heard of this man?"
ASnd dumbfounded drug squad officers here replied: "He's kind of famous in Ireland all right!"
The singer now faces a grilling after the passport turned up on the French-Spanish border in a holdall containing 270,000.
The legendary Pogues frontman's travel documents were discovered by Customs officers along with the cash after an Irishman was stopped in Bayonne, southern France. Police arrested a 59 year old man using an Irish name and seized the money on Sunday.
During questionoing they unearthed MacGowan's stolen passport and alerted Gardai.
The 48 year old singer was in Dublin with his girlfriend at the time - oblivious to the fuss.
Last night MacGowan's dad Maurice from Tipperary, said his son was in Dublin with his girlfriend Journalist Victoria Mary Clarke. He said: "His passport must have been robbed."
Maurice said Shane had 'lost passports in the past' and speculated his son's identity may have been stolen.
He said: "It would be easy for a proper crook to steal a passport. I know Shane has a passport at the moment. He needed one to get a visa for America where he is going in March on tour."
A pal added: "Shane will be absolutely shocked to hear someone is using hois passport. He is currently preparing for a big tour of the east coast of America."
French cops told Gardai they had seized a passport in the name of Shane Patrick MacGowan, with a date of birth 25/12/1957.
The arrested man was carrying another Irish passport. The Irish Sun is not revealing his name for legal reasons. He was being held by the police Judiciaire in Bayonne last night. The Irish embassy in France was also alerted.
Gardai and the authorities here are now certain to ask MacGowan how his passport could have ended up in the hands of a stranger.
As an Irish passport is the property of the Government, cops here will be anxious to discover how a celebrity as renowned as MacGowan could have had his identity stolen.
Shane is currently in Dublinm rehearsing with the Pogues for a series of sell out gigs in the US.
Shane's agent Denis Vaughan was unavaialble for comment last night.
Dad Maurice said his son was "really enjoyting his life again" after a tough few years battling addiction to prescription drugs and drink.
Maurice told the Irish Sun: "Shane is in great form these days. He's well on the way back to his former self. It will, of course, take time but he's a completely different person to the one he was a year ago."

**Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:40 pm**

Thank you, dear Guest!

Scans of original:
page 1
page 2
(Thank you, MissWalshy!)

**Thu Jan 26, 2006 6:21 pm**

I may be a little bit late, but did Victoria go back to Shane? According to the article, she did. Yes, I am definitely very late.

**Thu Jan 26, 2006 6:25 pm**

"'COPS QUIZ SHANE ON CASH BAG'"?

Wouldn't everyone be more comfortable if they were on chairs or couches? Seems a cash bag wouldn't be comfortable for anyone.

**Thu Jan 26, 2006 6:52 pm**

DzM wrote:"'COPS QUIZ SHANE ON CASH BAG'"?

Wouldn't everyone be more comfortable if they were on chairs or couches? Seems a cash bag wouldn't be comfortable for anyone.

My first thought too... :lol:

**Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:32 pm**

Sober wrote:I may be a little bit late, but did Victoria go back to Shane?

Looks like that. Who knows if they ever really split...

DzM wrote:"'COPS QUIZ SHANE ON CASH BAG'"?
Wouldn't everyone be more comfortable if they were on chairs or couches? Seems a cash bag wouldn't be comfortable for anyone.

Safety over comfort! Isn’t sitting on the cash bag the best way to assure that it doesn’t turn into a sad empty bag before the quiz is over? Seems the cops know their colleagues only too well... ;-)

**Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:49 pm**

hahaha this whole thing is brilliant.

**Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:10 am**

Better be quized on cash bag than on plank-bed

Zuzana wrote:Isn’t sitting on the cash bag the best way to assure that it doesn’t turn into a sad empty bag before the quiz is over? Seems the cops know their colleagues only too well...

Gardai quizzed over missing 40k
The Sunday Independent
8 Jan 2006
JIM CUSACK
<blockquote>MORE than a hundred gardai who have served in one of Dublin's largest stations over the past year are to be questioned about the suspected theft of more than ─40,000 of seized cash which went missing from a locked cabinet.

The money was seized during a garda raid on a house in the north-inner city more than two years ago. It was sent to the Garda Forensic Laboratory for examination for traces of drugs and then returned to Fitzgibbon Street station early last year.

The disappearance of the cash was only discovered last month after a court application by a man claiming the money was legitimately his.

When senior gardai went to recover the money shortly before Christmas, in preparation for the court hearing, they found it was missing from the station.

A senior officer from another Dublin Garda division has been appointed to carry out the investigation, it was confirmed last week.

As part of his investigations, a team of detectives from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation will examine bank accounts of Fitzgibbon Street gardai.

The detectives are also examining documents relating to the seizure and holding of the cash.

The gardai from Fitzgibbon Street, who seized and were charged with the keeping of the cash, have strongly denied any involvement in the disappearance of the cash.

According to sources close to the station there were highly inadequate arrangements for the secure storage of cash and other seized items, and a large number of people serving in the station would have known of the whereabouts of the cash. </blockquote>
Wonder if they will give his passport back at least...

**Fri Jan 27, 2006 4:05 pm**

DzM wrote:"'COPS QUIZ SHANE ON CASH BAG'"?

Wouldn't everyone be more comfortable if they were on chairs or couches? Seems a cash bag wouldn't be comfortable for anyone.

Ha! Shouldn't it read 'COPS QUIZ SHANE ON CASHMAN' !!

After all, isn't it Joey who's supposed to look after Shane's passport .... :lol:

**Fri Jan 27, 2006 4:23 pm**

Nah! Since it's MissWalshy who keeps Shane in her pocket. She debared Joey from taking care about Shane and his things, I am afraid (or we would have to suppose that he has access to her preciuos pockets)

**Fri Jan 27, 2006 4:50 pm**

Nope, Joey has no access.

I've admited it already in another thread... what more do you want me to say???

**Fri Jan 27, 2006 4:55 pm**

Me? nothing! Maybe gardai have questions, i don't know...

**Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:09 pm**

Hush or you'll get us both into trouble..

**Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:17 pm**

erm.. both... What do you mean <i>both</i>?

**Sat Jan 28, 2006 1:57 pm**

I think *you* know!

'COPS QUIZ SHANE ON CASH BAG'

'COPS QUIZ SHANE ON CASH BAG'

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