Latest news with #DrewHarris
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Garda suspended after allegedly trying to hire dark web hitman to murder ex-partner
A major garda investigation is underway into an alleged attempt by a garda to hire an assassin on the dark web to murder his former partner. The extraordinary case – which has shocked experienced officers in An Garda Síochána – appears to have been uncovered when foreign intelligence agencies spotted the request on the underground internet. It is understood they made contact with Garda HQ and an investigation was set up. The Garda Anti-Corruption Unit — which was set up under current commissioner Drew Harris — was assigned the investigation. The garda, based in Dublin, has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, which garda sources have described as 'extremely serious' not just for the individual but also for the organisation. A statement issued by Garda HQ confirmed the investigation was underway: 'As part of an ongoing investigation by the Garda Anti-Corruption Unit into alleged serious criminality, a garda based in Dublin is suspended.' Details of the case, first revealed in the Irish Independent, allege that the garda sought a person on the dark web, purporting to offer criminal services, to set fire to a house in which the officer's former partner lived. It is further alleged that payments, in the form of bitcoin, were made. But the alleged conspiracy unravelled after the man being hired took the money and shut down contact. Dark web It is understood that the communications were spotted by a police or intelligence agency in Europe, which in turn informed An Garda Síochána. Certain EU member states have police and intelligence agencies that have the necessary resources and technology to monitor the dark web, or particularly activities on it. Criminal services include the purchase of firearms, illegal drugs, counterfeit money, stolen data, cyber attack software, and the hiring of hitmen. Once Garda HQ assessed the information the matter was passed on to the Garda Anti-Corruption Unit for investigation. It is understood that a search was carried out in which digital devices associated with the garda in question were taken away for forensic examination. The garda was suspended from duty but is not thought to have been arrested yet. Investigators will gather and examine all the digital evidence before seeking to question the garda. "The allegations just boggle the mind," one security source said. "You think you have heard it all, then this." When Commissioner Harris set up the Garda Anti-Corruption Unit, he said there was no reason why Ireland should be any different to other European countries when it came to corrupt and criminal activities of a small number of individual police officers. He said a proactive unit was needed to tackle it.
The Journal
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Gardaí are 'unfairly' targeting Drew Harris for blame over recent changes, says oversight chief
THE HEAD OF a garda oversight body said she believes that Drew Harris has been 'unfairly targeted' for blame by gardaí for implementing a Government change programme. Recently Dr Elaine Byrne sat down with The Journal to discuss policing in Ireland and explain the role her new agency, the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA), plays. Byrne believes frustrations, change fatigue and 'stones in their shoes' problems are causing trouble in garda ranks. It has been a bruising few years for Harris and the garda management team, underlined by the number of flashpoints between them and representative bodies. These issues included a dispute around shift rosters and also an ongoing perception of overbearing discipline linked to administrative tasks. Gardaí who responded to a survey by the Garda Representative Association (GRA) voted 98.7% in favour of a vote of no confidence in Commissioner Drew Harris . The GRA in recent weeks refused to invite Harris to its annual delegate conference which prompted new Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan to also avoid attending. Again industrial relations between Garda Headquarters and rank and file gardaí are at a low ebb. Byrne believes the disquiet about Harris is from a so-called 'change fatigue' among serving members of the force. 'One thing that the guards don't get enough credit for is the extraordinary amount of change that has happened in a very short period of time. It is the most momentous period of change in the history of the guards,' she said. Byrne explained this includes a major redrawing of garda divisions, a new operating model and the introduction of new legislation that governs the organisation. She also said that there are now new focuses, including upskilling in technology and a greater emphasis on civilianisation, all adding to the daily challenges for gardaí. When asked to clarify if she thought the change model was directly affecting the garda relationship with Drew Harris she again repeated that the reform programme was difficult. 'I think there's a lot of change happening at the same time. We have every year, when we go out and listen, we produce this report called What We Heard, and one of the things that we've heard is change fatigue,' she said. Byrne said it is not Drew Harris who is responsible for the new operating model and reform programme but rather it was handed to him by Government. 'It is a government initiative that he has been tasked with implementing, I think that he individually is unfairly the target of all of the ills within the guards,' she said. Commissioner Drew Harris and Dr Elaine Byrne at a Policing Authority meeting. 'Not standing on the sidelines' When we met Byrne, it had been a tough few days for An Garda Síochána – the death and funeral of Garda Kevin Flatley was weighing heavy on her. Byrne herself was dealing with the emotional toll – fighting back tears as she described signing the book of condolence in a local garda station with her daughters. The practising barrister, who was also a newspaper opinion writer and advocate for governance and accountability, joined the then Policing Authority in 2021 and would ultimately assume chair of the body in 2024 from former head of RTÉ Bob Collins. 'I felt it was very easy to be standing on the sidelines and telling people who are on the pitch what to do. So when the opportunity came to be be more involved in the future of policing in Ireland I was very excited about that,' she said. The Policing Authority is no more and it is now the PCSA which also carries the functions of the subsumed Garda Inspectorate into its ranks. Advertisement The body meets senior garda management once a month to discuss issues. One issue constantly cropping up is the problem of overbearing bureaucracy and the relationship between gardaí, their representative bodies and Drew Harris. She has also identified from talking to guards that there are massive issues around resourcing – not enough officers, not enough cars available to respond to calls, for example. She also said there is a lack of interagency work especially around mental health calls and frustrations from gardaí being sent out on non-crime related calls. She said that concerns over a complete redesign of the policing model may be 'mismatched'. She said she has faith in the model and that when she and her colleagues dig into issues they find that they are problems that are not associated with the reform but rather are issues because of geography and resourcing. 'When I meet gardaí, they are proud to be guards – they love being a guard. It's a badge of honor being a guard. 'And then there are just what I would call these small stones in your shoe. And if every day, the stone is in your shoe, then it's just becoming more and more frustrating,' she explained. Byrne said she is constantly meeting gardaí, including recently as she was at mass, who are raising their concerns with her. Dr Elaine Byrne of the PCSA. Niall O'Connor / The Journal Niall O'Connor / The Journal / The Journal Suspensions When not sitting on the PCSA committee, Byrne often finds herself in the Workplace Relations Commission where she acts as a barrister defending and advocating for people in employment disputes. In recent years, concerns have been raised about the problem of garda suspensions. An embarrassing case in which a garda was suspended and then cleared over giving a bicycle to an elderly man led to significant criticism of garda management . There has also been a number of cases before the High Court and the Workplace Relations Commission in which internal discipline mechanisms were found to be improper. The high point of suspensions was in 2021/2022 when there were 44 and last year it had fallen to 18. To date in 2025 there have been six. She said there has to be a 'robust way of investigating' allegations of wrongdoing but said since the highpoint of suspensions in 2022 'things have got a little more sophisticated'. Byrne said that everyone is entitled to fairness. 'Just because you are accused doesn't mean you did anything wrong,' she added. 'It is important that there is a disciplinary system that's efficient, effective and fair. 'There have been occasions where the disciplinary system has been analysed in High Court judgments and the processes of the guards have not always been ones that have passed mustard. 'Really it's not fair to those members, and it's not fair that those under investigation are left hanging for an amount of time that's disproportionate,' she added. At present the PCSA is asking the public to contact it to tell its members what they should prioritise when being watchdog to their police force. Byrne and her colleagues have been consulted by the Department of Justice as the campaign begins to find the new Garda Commissioner. The power to select the new 'number one' will be for the Government. Drew Harris's term will come to an end in September. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Two men arrested after Gardaí seize €210,000 of cocaine in Dublin
Two men have been arrested after Gardaí seized €210,000 of suspected cocaine. Gardaí seized the €210,000 of suspected cocaine as part of an operation targeting the sale and supply of controlled drugs in the Dublin Metropolitan Region South Central area. The seizure was made during the course of a search of a residence in the Dublin 8 area, on Friday, May 23. The drugs seized are now subject to analysis by Forensic Science Ireland. Two men, aged in their 20's and 30's, were arrested in connection with the investigation. They have since been charged with offences under the misuse of drugs act, and appeared before the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ) this afternoon, Saturday, 24 May. Gardaí said that investigations are ongoing. This seizure forms part of Operation Tara, an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on July 2, 2021. The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute drug trafficking networks at all levels—international, national, and local—involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale, and supply of controlled drugs.
Irish Examiner
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Gardaí face personal injuries claim from woman arrested at pro-Palestine event
An Garda Síochána is facing a potential personal injuries claim from a woman who alleges she was arrested at a pro-Palestine event, before being detained and strip-searched, as a result of her political views. The woman's representatives, Belfast-based human rights lawyers Phoenix Law, wrote to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on May 14 to announce the claim on behalf of its client, a female protester who participated in a Mothers Against Genocide protest at Leinster House on March 30. That event, held to protest the ongoing violence in Gaza, saw 11 protesters, including the woman in question, arrested and detained at Garda stations in Dublin before being released several hours later. Those arrested subsequently claimed they had been subjected to excessive intrusive treatment by the arresting gardaí, including cavity searches, with some of those claims read into the Dáil record under privilege by People Before Profit TDs Richard Boyd Barrett, Ruth Coppinger, and Paul Murphy last month. In its letter to Mr Harris, Phoenix Law said its client had been held at Kevin Street Garda Station for three hours without questioning, that she had been subjected to a strip search, and that she had not been told why that invasive procedure had to occur. The firm alleged that its client's human rights had been breached. Details of the legal claim come after Mr Harris wrote to the Dail's business committee on May 16 accusing the three People Before Profit TDs of making 'unfounded allegations' in the Dáil chamber concerning the alleged treatment of a separate female protester, and Palestinian national. In his letter, Mr Harris said 'it has been verified by me that they [the arresting officers] treated those in custody with respect at all times'. He said that the protests and subsequent arrests had been recorded on Garda body-worn cameras which showed 'nothing that would substantiate any allegations of wrongdoing'. He added, however, that 'there are no recording devices in cells when prisoners are being searched for obvious requirements for dignity and privacy'. It is in those cells that it is alleged the invasive searches of the protester in question took place. A spokesperson for Mothers Against Genocide said they note that 'An Garda Síochána has now acknowledged that there is no camera footage of the strip searches conducted on our members during the Mother's Day arrests'. The group has called on minister for justice Jim O'Callaghan to 'issue a public apology' for previous assertions that the accounts of the protesters regarding their detention had been false. A spokesman for An Garda Síochána said: "Material gathered by An Garda Síochána in relation to this matter has been provided to the Policing and Community Safety Authority for their review."
Extra.ie
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Extra.ie
No video footage to show if gardaí strip-searched pro-Palestinian Dáil protesters
Gardaí have refused to clarify the extent of searches carried out at pro-Palestinian protests as the Garda Commissioner confirmed that there is no video footage to disprove allegations of strip and cavity searches taking place. It comes as Commissioner Drew Harris condemned the use of Dáil privilege to repeat the claims, which he insists are 'unfounded'. An Garda Síochána found itself at the centre of a media storm when members of activist group Mothers Against Genocide claimed that they were subject to intimate searches after being arrested at a protest. The group protesting over the situation in Gaza. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/ Garda HQ quickly denied the claims, with Mr Harris saying he could 'categorically state' no such searches took place. In a complaint to Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy over the repetition of these allegations under Dáil privilege, the Garda Commissioner said an internal review found that gardaí 'acted at all times professionally, lawfully, and in accordance with established procedures'. He said the events of the protest and subsequent arrests were recorded on Garda body cameras that do not substantiate any allegations of wrongdoing – a point echoed by Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, who said the searches did not happen. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins But Mr Harris also confirmed 'there are no recording devices in cells when prisoners are being searched'. On April 1 the Dáil heard allegations that female protesters were strip-searched following the Mothers Against Genocide demonstration in late March, at which 11 people were arrested. The group also alleged that one arrested member had been subjected to a cavity search. The claims were raised by People Before Profit-Solidarity TDs Richard Boyd-Barrett, Paul Murphy and Ruth Coppinger. In mid-April, the Garda Commissioner said he had ordered an inquiry into the allegations. Gardaí remove a protester at the Mothers Against Genocide demonstration held outside Leinster House last March. Mr Harris also took issue with the fact that the 'inaccurate' claims were made by TDs under Dáil privilege. In his official complaint to Ms Murphy, Mr Harris condemned the 'erroneous statements' from the TDs and defended the actions of the female gardaí who conducted the searches. An Garda Síochána said in a statement that it still refutes the allegations made in the Dáil. However, a spokeswoman did not reply to requests from the Irish Daily Mail seeking clarification on what searches did take place. The revelation over the lack of video footage of searches came despite the Justice Minister being told by the Garda Commissioner that video footage proved the strip or cavity searches did not take place. This discrepancy was highlighted by TD Paul Murphy in a statement on Thursday. He said: 'Commissioner Harris in his letter states, 'There are no recording devices in cells when prisoners are being searched', but the [Justice] Minister, in his comments at the AGSI [Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors] conference on April 15 claiming our statements had been shown to be false, did not disclose this crucial information. TD Paul Murphy. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos 'On the contrary, the minister said at the conference that any investigation 'will also have access to the recordings examined by the Commissioner'. But the Commissioner has now made it clear there are no such recordings. This letter from the Garda Commissioner vindicates our claims and proves that the minister misled the public.' Mr O'Callaghan had said 'the Commissioner reported back to me… that his enquiries revealed that the allegations made by some members of Dáil Éireann were false'. A spokeswoman for the minister said he stands over his previous statement on the matter.
