Latest news with #CormacBerkeley
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Mobsters caught red-handed moving gun were working in plot to kill pal of slain drug dealer as sinister details revealed
Gardai believe they were brought into the plot by associates of The Family gang EVIL BID FOILED Mobsters caught red-handed moving gun were working in plot to kill pal of slain drug dealer as sinister details revealed TWO men jailed after being caught red-handed with a gun days before Christmas were working as part of a plot to kill a close pal of slain drug dealer Cormac Berkeley. The Irish Sun can reveal Michael Simpson, 36, and Declan Coulahan, 46, were slapped with six-year terms this week, and are suspected of moving the firearm and making preparations for a hit team before gardai intervened. Advertisement 5 Cormac Berkeley was shot dead a few years back in Dublin Credit: Collect 5 Cops found a semi-automatic handgun in a Tesco bag in the van Credit: Gardai 5 Declan Coulahan was slapped with a six-year term Credit: Supplied Cops suspect that a gang led by a convicted drug dealer from Crumlin in south Dublin teamed up with Ireland's top drug traffickers, The Family, to take out the man who was closely aligned with Berkeley in a 'joint enterprise'. Advertisement Drug dealer Berkeley was blasted to death over two years ago in Neilstown in west Dublin, on December 5, 2022. Another sinister element of the plan was the suspected involvement of two thugs — notorious hitman Charles McClean and a dangerous criminal — in helping direct the kill bid from prison. But the attempt was brought down by investigators from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau when they set up an op around Simpson's home in Rowlagh Avenue, Clondalkin on December 17 last. Detective Sergeant Leo Clayton told Dublin's Circuit Criminal Court that it was put in place following a confidential tip-off. Simpson emerged from his home as he was being picked up by Coulahan in a van, before armed gardai intercepted with their guns drawn. Advertisement Cops found a semi-automatic handgun in a Tesco bag in the van, while Simpson had ten rounds of ammo in his pocket. Although Simpson had been well-known to Gardai, Coulahan, of Drumcairn Parade, Tallaght, had never come to their attention before. Gardai believe they were brought into the plot by associates of The Family gang. A source told The Irish Sun: 'It is not suspected that these two men were the hit team, but rather involved in the logistical side of things — in terms of holding the gun, prepping and moving it. 'The target of the attack was a close associate of Cormac Berkeley who was shot dead a few years back in Dublin. Advertisement 'This man has been under huge threat since Berkeley's death, something he is well aware of.' WHAT IS 'THE FAMILY' GANG? THEY'VE been operating in the shadows of criminality for over 20 years. But The Family gang are now classified by Gardai under Operation Compact as one of Ireland's primary transnational drug trafficking mobs. The crime syndicate previously played second fiddle to the Kinahan cartel when it came to drugs importation, firearms smuggling and money laundering operations. But since the convictions of senior Kinahan goons such as Declan 'Mr Nobody' Brady and Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh, The Family are now the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau's number one target. The Family was established by brothers from west Dublin. Although involved in organised crime for over 20 years, the gang's strategy has been to keep out of the spotlight. The mob started by smuggling heroin into Ireland from international contacts across Europe. Before the Kinahan and Hutch feud, Daniel Kinahan's gang would have supplied The Family with shipments of drugs and guns. But when the Gardai moved against the cartel during their feud, The Family found their own sources. Their main customer base was in the Ballyfermot, Clondalkin, Ronanstown, Kilmainham and Tallaght areas of Dublin. They started with heroin, then moved into the cocaine and cannabis trade in the Celtic Tiger years. And unlike the Kinahan organisation, who based themselves in Spain before relocating to Dubai, The Family leadership chose to remain in Ireland. As business boomed, The Family also sought new ways to launder their profits from drug trafficking. They did this by trading in cars and investing in legitimate businesses. Since the GNDOCB went on the offensive against The Family, they have seized over €40million worth of drugs, over €7m in cash and have arrested and charged 'top tier' targets and seized assets such as luxury cars and designer watches. Gardai believe they were laundering €100m in drug cash every year. After the Garda intervention, the prison cells of McClean and the other jailed criminal suspected to have helped direct the hit were searched. McClean — a notorious figure in Ireland's underworld scene — is currently serving a total of 20 years in prison over investigations into three gangland murders. They include impeding the prosecution of those behind the murder of crazed Mark 'The Guinea Pig' Desmond in 2016, conspiring to murder Wayne Whelan in September 2019, and facilitating a criminal organisation in murdering Thomas McCarthy — who was innocent — back in 2020. The other jailed gangster involved hails from Crumlin and is currently serving a sentence after he was caught handing over a loaded handgun to another man. Advertisement CAUGHT 'RED-HANDED' Both Simpson and Coulahan pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm and one count of possessing ammunition on December 17, 2024. Simpson further admitted possessing around €5,500 of cocaine for sale or supply and €68 worth of cannabis, drugs which were found during a search of his house afterwards. Judge Martina Baxter noted both Simpson and Coulahan had been caught 'red-handed' and were crucial 'facilitators' in the operation. She told how the firearm had been made up of two different guns, saying it was 'a very lethal weapon', adding: 'Having regard to its composite structure, it would be very difficult to find its origin.' Simpson — who had 85 previous convictions for possession of drugs and for sale and supply — was handed a six-year sentence with six months suspended. Advertisement Coulahan, who had no previous convictions, was given the same term, but the last 12 months were suspended in his case. The investigation into Simpson and Coulahan was led by Detective Inspector Padraig Mullarkey and Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher of the GNDOCB. 5 Michael Simpson was also caged Credit: COLLECT
The Irish Sun
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Fresh ‘overhaul' probe of drug gang The Family's financial web as ‘brute' gang leader stays under radar in Dublin estate
THE Criminal Assets Bureau is scrutinising a forensic accountant's report into the finances of Ireland's top drug trafficking gang, we can reveal. Pressure continues to mount on The Family mob, while specialist gardai press on hammering the 5 Cops lift a member of The Family mob Credit: Garda Press Office Handout 5 Members of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) Credit: Garda Press Office Handout 5 Police nab suspected drug traffickers Credit: Europol But despite repeated blows at the hands of the Garda National Drugs and Organised However, investigators suspect that the The GNDOCB quizzed a number of the life-long drug dealers for directing the activities of an organised crime gang following a series of raids in late March. It came on the back of a major international investigation, which saw the takedown of the encrypted Ghost network — used by senior members of The Family to organise millions of euro worth of cocaine and heroin shipments from READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS The mob has dominated Ireland's cocaine market since the And they continue their trade with heroin, which they have been doing for over two decades. But investigators continue to plough on in their investigations, with The Irish Sun on Sunday has learned the bureau is examining The Family's MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN A source told The Irish Sun on Sunday: 'When you're dealing with a transnational organised crime gang like this, which is well-structured in a way to protect those at the very top of it, every possible avenue to tackle them has to be taken. 'That's what is happening here. And the overall investigation into The Family has made huge strides in the last 18 months. Moment US authorities announce they're offering a $5m bounty for information about Daniel Kinahan ' 'It takes massive resources and a prolonged period of time to unravel these organisations. GHOST NETWORK TAKEDOWN 'But with the Ghost network takedown and other work put in so far in terms of various seizures, establishing how the gang operate their money laundering side of the business and other various factors, gardai have made huge progress.' The beefed-up leader of The Family once shied away from violence — because of the heat it drew to his business from gardai. The change of tack in adding murder and brute force to its arsenal to stay on top of the underworld industry in recent years is how they've placed themselves as the GNDOCB's number one target. Just before last Christmas, its associates were intercepted on their way to kill a close associate of murder victim Cormac Berkeley, who the gang took out in 2022. After the leader was quizzed by gardai this year, he is suspected of ordering an arson attack on vehicles linked to a man who was allegedly caught transporting millions of euro worth of his cocaine. STAYING UNDER THE RADAR Such violence and intimidation, which has only spurred gardai on further to take the gang down, has placed even more media attention on the gang leader. He, unlike cartel leader He lives in a modest semi on an estate in Another source said: 'This guy is a brute and dangerous. He hates the attention on him and his gang because it affects business. 'But greed and his need to assert power put him in that situation.' As part of the investigation, gardai believe he had a hands-on role in directing and overseeing at least nine drug trafficking and money laundering operations last year. When he was quizzed in March, his two brothers who sit directly below him in the group, two key facilitators and a man who stored drugs on his behalf were also lifted. One of the associates is the mob's tech guru, in his 40s from MILLIONS WORTH OF COCAINE Another is their head of logistics in Ireland, a man said to be in his 60s from After Europol disabled Ghost, detectives here seized €22million worth of cocaine and hundreds of thousands in cash — directly linked to The Family. Spanish police have also lifted 20 associates linked to The Family over the past 12 months and seized items to the value of over €1million. Those associated with The Family who have been jailed include Paul Bourke, 56, from Another is Hungarian pilot Zoltan Nemeth, 63, who flew €8.4million of heroin into Ireland in 2023. 5 Irish and Spanish law enforcement authorities took decisive action against one of Ireland's high-risk criminal networks Credit: Europol 5 Daniel Kinahan Credit: The Sun
