Latest news with #GNDOCB
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
BreakingNews.ie
14-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (40s) arrested after €120k of cannabis seized in Co Dublin
A man has been arrested after €120,000 of cannabis was seized in Dublin on Wednesday. Revenue officers seized approximately 6kgs of herbal cannabis as part of a joint operation conducted by Revenue's Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Drugs Serious Crime South. Advertisement A man in his 40s was arrested and is currently being held in a Garda station in Dublin. Gardaí say investigations are ongoing.
Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Man, 50's, arrested in connection with €1.8m cannabis seizure in Louth
A man in his 50s has been arrested in connection with the seizure of around 90kgs of cannabis in Co Louth. He is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice Drug Trafficking Act 1996. Revenue officers seized the drugs, which had an estimated value of €1.8m, on May 12 as part of a joint intelligence-led operation with the Garda National Drugs, Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Louth Divisional Drugs Unit. The drugs seized will be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. Investigations are ongoing.
Irish Times
05-05-2025
- Irish Times
Two men remain in custody after €1.6m heroin seizure in Dublin
Two men charged over a seizure of €1.6 million worth of heroin in Dublin allegedly linked to 'a transnational criminal organisation' have been remanded in custody. Graphic designer Oliver Etienne (44) from England, but living in Barcelona, Spain, for 10 years, and 34-year-old Christian Munoz Sanchez, from Barcelona, were arrested on May 2nd during an operation by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB). They appeared before Judge Áine Clancy at Dublin District Court on Monday. Mr Etienne pleaded for bail on the grounds he came to Ireland on a trip with his co-accused, with whom he had shared a room at the Clayton Hotel in Liffey Valley, Dublin, and he denies the charge. READ MORE However, Judge Clancy held he was a flight risk and denied his request. Mr Sanchez deferred his application to be released pending trial. In seeking bail, he will utilise an EU directive allowing defendants to sign on at police stations in their own countries. The two men were remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court, Mr Etienne on Wednesday and his co-accused two days later. GNDOCB detectives Tom McCarrick and Rioghnach O'Sullivan said the pair 'made no reply' when charged with possessing heroin and having it for sale or supply at Junction 9 of the M50 on May 2nd. The offence can carry a life sentence. Objecting to bail, Det Gda McCarrick said that on Friday, GNDOCB officers received confidential information about 'a transnational organised crime group involved in drug trafficking'. The court heard it suggested a Spanish national named Christian Munoz Sanchez and others had a large quantity of heroin in west Dublin. Det Gda McCarrick told the court that Mr Etienne was stopped at Liffey Terrace, Lucan, Co Dublin, and taken to Ballymun Garda station. The court heard gardaí learned his co-accused was travelling in a taxi, which was stopped at the Coolock slip road, M1 south, Dublin. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 21 packages of heroin. The court heard the pair travelled by ferry to Ireland in a car with another man, his mother and their dog by ferry from Cherbourg and arrived at Dublin Port on April 24th. Garda enquiries and CCTV were said to have established that Oliver Etienne and his co-accused arrived at the hotel on Thursday, shared a room, checked out at the same time and placed their luggage in secure storage at the hotel. It was claimed Mr Etienne later went in and collected these bags, including one containing the heroin later found in the taxi with Mr Sanchez. The court heard that encrypted messages were on Mr Sanchez's phone, but Mr Etienne's phone could not be accessed because he did not provide the correct PIN. Defence solicitor Kate Mcghee disputed Garda evidence her client was caught red-handed, describing it as 'nonsensical'. The solicitor stressed that her client had no previous convictions or warrant history and would abide by the condition, and he denies knowing what was in the bag. Judge Clancy held that the gardaí had not established that he had been caught red-handed, but she refused bail on the grounds that it was reasonably probable that he would evade justice. Solicitor Tracy Horan, for Mr Sanchez, said her client, who listened with the aid of an interpreter, would move his bail application on Friday based on the mutual recognition of decisions on supervision EU directive.
The Irish Sun
05-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Spaniard and Englishman charged over €1.6million Dublin heroin seizure with links to ‘transnational crime organisation'
TWO men have been charged over a €1.6million seizure of heroin in Dublin. The drugs are linked to 'a transnational criminal organisation', Dublin District The men, who both live in Sanchez deferred making a bail application, while Etienne sought to be released on the grounds he came to Ireland on a trip with his co-accused and denies the charge. Read more in Irish News However, Det Garda Tom McCarrick objected to bail, telling how the GNDOCB had received a confidential tip on Friday about 'a transnational organised The court heard it suggested a Spanish national named Christian Munoz Sanchez and others had a large quantity of heroin in west He said Etienne was arrested in Lucan before gardai learnt his co-accused was travelling in a taxi, which was stopped at the Coolock Slip Road of the M1. Cops searched the cab and found 21 packages of heroin. Most read in Irish News Etienne's solicitor Kate McGhee disputed claims her client was caught red-handed, describing it as 'nonsensical'. Judge Clancy agreed officers hadn't established this but denied bail. She remanded both men in custody. 1 The two men were charged in a Dublin court Credit: google maps
