A JOINT operation led to the arrest of twelve suspected members of what authorities are describing as a ‘high-risk Irish criminal network’. The members of the network were arrested in parts of Ireland and Spain.
A series of coordinated raids took place today with cooperation between La Guardia Civil and An Garda Síochána. Europol said that the authorities were successfully able to carry out the arrests of six people in Ireland and six people in Spain.
The detainees are suspected of large-scale drug trafficking between the countries, in a sophisticated operation which involved transporting significant quantities of drugs concealed in vehicles. Authorities say that the vehicles were then moved between Spain and Ireland.
Five men were arrested on Monday as part of this investigation, and it is understood that they are being held at Gardaí stations in Dublin. A sixth man was arrested later and remains in custody pending further investigation. The men involved are said to be aged in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.
All six men are suspected of being involved with a major drug trafficking operation known as ‘The Family’. The gang is suspected by Gardaí of being one of the main suppliers of heroin and cocaine into Ireland.
The arrests were made on suspicion of facilitating, assisting or conspiring with an organised crime group and the six men detained are being held under anti-gang legislation, which means that they can be questioned for up to a week.
As well as officers from Europol, La Guardia Civil and An Garda Síochána, members of the @ON Network were also involved in the arrests. The @ON Network is led by the Italian Antimafia Investigation Directorate (DIA) and is funded by the European Commission.
In September last year, Gardaí assisted Spanish authorities in dismantling a Ghost encrypted communication platform which had been deployed by ‘The Family’ to attempt conducting their business in secret.