Woman linked to Chinese cannabis operation to get back part of designer fashion collection

Yan-Yan Fan (47), who defended herself in the High Court case, had claimed she was a lover of fashion and denied her treasured possessions were purchased with criminal cash.

She told the court at a hearing that buying fashion items was “the only hobby I have”.

But last week, Judge Alex Owens found that most of the designer items seized during CAB raids were bought with the proceeds of crime.

A total of 96 items were taken by CAB and valued at €119,000, although Judge Owens did not find CAB’s evidence supported this valuation.

The judge accepted her arguments that in some cases items were valueless or were presents and said they should be returned to her.

The list of 19 items to be returned includes tea, earrings, shoes and a keyboard.

Included are a Chanel Petite Timeless tote, black caviar leather; YSL grained black leather Small Y Cabas; Chanel Gold Vinyl chain stopper; black ladies’ Moncler jacket; Louis Vuitton Spheres bag charm; Chanel 4220 sunglasses; Louis Vuitton goldtone pendant bracelet; Ray Ban children’s purple sunglasses; Versace MOD4305 sunglasses; Hermes 90cm Cuivreries scarf; Louis Vuitton tea 100g; Swarovski Swan stud earrings; Apple wireless keyboard; Louboutin Degraspike flat shoe; Furla blue fur bag charm; Hermes silk Twilly Colliers de Chiens; Louis Vuitton purple monogram Shine shawl; Hermes H Belt reversible Swift and Togo; and Louis Vuitton Taiga black Pegase suitcase.

The judge also ordered that €89,000 in a frozen account be returned to her parents, who Ms Fan said had helped her to buy an apartment.

However, he accepted CAB’s argument that Yan-Yan Fan and a co-respondent Guang Ying Wang (49), who came to Ireland in the early 2000s, were working with a grow-house operation.

Wang did not contest the case in which CAB sought to have the goods, along with €229,000, declared the proceeds of crime.

The Bureau’s case is that Ms Fan is linked to an organised crime gang involved in cannabis grow-houses and that she had a role managing properties.

The judge said she had a “significant link” with 7A Henrietta Place in Dublin in late 2012 where a grow-house with 1,490 cannabis plants valued at €1.1m was discovered.

She was a tenant of the property in 2012 and 2013, but when interviewed by gardaí she claimed a sub-tenant was responsible for the operation, he said.

He found it hard to credit her evidence that she was unaware of what was going on upstairs at 7A.

The CAB investigation started in 2021 when Wang was arrested on March 19 and questioned about his suspected involvement in a grow-house in Phibblestown, Co Dublin, in which cannabis worth €400,000 had been discovered.

Gardaí then searched Ms Fan’s apartment at Cedarhurst Road, Ashtown, Dublin, where Wang was also living at the time, and an apartment she leased in Dublin city centre.

Judge Owens stated: “Yan-Yan Fan has been, since at least as far back as 2012, knowingly concerned in activity associated with cannabis production and has handled large amounts of cash derived from this criminal activity.”

He added that much of her “day to day living over the years was not routed through her bank accounts”.

“She has lived off undisclosed cash which she used to meet credit card bills and her other expenses, including significant discretionary spending on holidays and designer-label fashion goods.”

During the hearing Ms Fan told the court that buying designer goods was “the only hobby I have”.

“I don’t know why they don’t believe me,” she said about CAB.

The bureau linked her to 12 bank accounts which she controls, in which €1.7m went through since 2005.

The headline figure of €1.7m put forward by CAB is “shocking”, she said, but that it is not true when you go into the detail.

LIST OF 19 ITEMS TO BE RETURNED FROM CAB

Chanel Petite Timeless Tote black caviar leather YSL grained black leather small Y Cabas Chanel gold vinyl chain stopper Black ladies’ Moncler jacket Louis Vuitton Spheres bag charm

Chanel 4220 sunglasses

Louis Vuitton Goldtone pendant bracelet Ray Ban children’s purple sunglasses Versace MOD4305 sunglasses Hermes 90cm Cuivreries scarf Louis Vuitton tea 100g

Swarovski Swan stud earrings Apple wireless keyboard Louboutin Degraspike shoe Furla blue fur bag charm Hermes silk Twilly Colliers de Chiens Louis Vuitton purple monogram shine shawl Hermes H belt, reversible, Swift and Togo Louis Vuitton Taiga black Pega