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Irish Times
19 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Gang who smuggled €60m of cannabis into Ireland and Britain ‘dismantled', say Spanish police
A conspiracy to smuggle cannabis from Spain to Ireland inside bags of animal feed has been uncovered as part of a policing operation led by the Spanish police and involving gardaí and the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA). As well as 13 arrests in Spain following raids in Madrid, Malaga and Seville, one man was detained by An Garda Síochána in Co Louth. The volume of drugs moved through the network's smuggling routes, based on comments by Spain's Policia Nacional, are valued at about €60 million. Spanish police said that at their end of the operation, involving 12 searches, they also seized almost €100,000 in cash, 630 marijuana plants, a firearm and three detonators. READ MORE They also confiscated high-end vehicles and luxury watches and froze assets valued at about €2 million. Spanish police say they've carried out raids, arrested 13 people (video) re smuggling of cannabis to Ireland, since 2019, inside bags of animal feed Also one arrest in Ireland - Co Louth In Spain, crops of cannabis have been found, a gun, cash, assets seized etc — Conor Lally (@conormlally) The international policing operation started in January, resulting in arrests in Ireland and Spain and the seizure of 300kg of herbal cannabis valued at almost €6 million. Spanish authorities say herbal cannabis had been smuggled from Spain to Ireland and Britain since 2019. They said up to three tonnes of drugs have been shipped in monthly consignments over the past six years. The Policia Nacional said on Thursday its operation with the Garda and NCA had 'dismantled a criminal organisation that shipped marijuana to Ireland hidden in sacks of animal feed'. The international inquiry began when the smuggling operation was discovered in January and involved suspects from Spain, Ireland and Britain, it said. The herbal cannabis was hidden in the animal feed in Spain then transported to Ireland and Britain on pallets. International freight forwarders were used to arrange the logistics. The 12 searches in Spain involved armed police officers breaking their way into properties, carrying out searches and arresting suspects. There were 10 searches in Malaga, one in Seville, both southern Spain, and another in the capital Madrid. The Policia Nacional described the suspect arrested by the Garda in Co Louth as 'another person belonging to the criminal structure'. It was unclear when the arrest took place. As well as a semi-automatic pistol found in one of the searches in Spain, three blank-calibre pistols were also discovered with 11 vehicles and six luxury watches valued at more than €200,000. Electronic devices were also taken for analysis.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Suspected sex offender used 27 aliases in UK and France before arriving in Ireland
A suspected sex offender with an unconfirmed identity used 27 aliases in the UK and France before arriving in Ireland, where he attempted to impersonate a minor, a court has heard. The man, who claims to be in his 30s and from Syria , has been in the country for at least a year. He was charged on Wednesday with failing to tell authorities his address under the Sex Offenders Act. He was held pending his appearance at Cloverhill District Court, where Judge Patricia Cronin heard that gardaí remain uncertain about the latest name he has given. He has been linked to various other identities used abroad. Garda Patrick Watson told a contested bail hearing the man was arrested in Dublin but would not give his name, resulting in extensive inquiries at national and international level. READ MORE The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) had no record of him under the name he had given. Colleagues in Cork indicated that the accused was known there under a different name. Extra inquiries were made with Interpol, revealing the accused had six separate identities in France and 21 in the UK, and another four in Ireland. Garda Watson said the man, who cannot currently be named for legal reasons, was also subject to the obligations of the sex offenders register. The court heard gardaí have yet to establish exactly how long the man, who has no passport, has been in the State. The court heard that at one stage he contacted Tusla , claiming to be a minor. The child and family agency 'carried out tests and established that this was not the case'. The court heard he never presented to the GNIB or international protection services. Garda Watson maintained the accused, who did not address the court, was elusive when asked to give his background information. The defence stressed the man denied being the person named on the charge sheet, but the prosecuting garda replied: 'The fingerprints say otherwise.' His barrister submitted the accused still enjoyed the presumption of innocence, and would obey strict bail conditions and lodge €500, all his money. The offence carries a maximum 12-month sentence. He was remanded in custody with consent to bail and will appear again next week to formally enter a plea and have a later hearing date set if he contests the charge.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ex-Ireland star and criminal Anthony Stokes signs for Conor McGregor's pub team
Former Ireland striker and convicted criminal Anthony Stokes is set to return to football, signing for Conor McGregor's pub team, Black Forge FC. Stokes previously played for both the Republic of Ireland and Celtic and last played professionally in 2020 with Livingston. However, the 37-year-old Dubliner has made headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent years, with numerous run-ins with the law. Now a free man after having his recent jail sentence for drug dealing and drunk and dangerous driving overturned on appeal, Stokes looks set to team up with Conor McGregor and his football team. McGregor recently lined out for his pub team, Black Forge FC, for the 2025 season, where he played in the AUL Challenge Cup final. He has now recruited Stokes to add some firepower up front. Stokes shared the news of the transfer on Instagram, saying, 'Better get the dust knocked off the boots.' Stokes, who played nine times for Ireland during his career, has had a dramatic downfall in recent years. Back in 2013, he was handed a two-year suspended sentence for headbutting another man in a Dublin Nightclub. He subsequently pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. Stokes was then ordered to pay victim Anthony Bradley €230,000 in damages after a High Court hearing. The ex-Sunderland star admitted to carrying out a stalking campaign on ex-partner Eilidh Scott. The former striker bombarded Scott with a string of abusive messages that saw him send 100 texts a day on WhatsApp and email. He labelled her a 'slut', a 'slag' and a 'whore' and turned up at her home in Shotts, Lanarkshire, late at night. Jealous Stokes also demanded to know her whereabouts and pestered her mother, May Scott. Stokes was banned from contacting his ex-girlfriend for four years, as well as her mother. Stokes was sentenced to five months behind bars last year after he breached court orders. Stokes continued to repeatedly message Ms. Scott and her parents despite a strict court ban. Stokes was accused of assault causing harm to Fraser Spratt in Dublin back in 2019, but the case was struck out due to the absence of a key witness. Most recently, Stokes was handed a 15-month sentence behind bars in October of last year after Gardai seized €3,700 worth of cocaine and was involved in a high-speed car chase while also over the legal alcohol limit. On appeal, he was handed a suspended sentence and a community service order, but is serving a five-year driving ban.
