Police Dismantle Remains Of Gilligan Drugs Gang in Alicante Raids
Spanish authorities have dismantled an Irish drug gang, believed to be have been led by notorious Irish mobster, John Gilligan, who had himself been previously arrested in October.
The arrests were carried out by agents of the Spanish National Police in four raids in the Alicante region, according to an official statement earlier today 10th February.
The video footage shows agents removing a man from his vehicle and placing him in custody before they raid several homes and place other suspects in handcuffs.
The authorities are seen searching the homes, some of which have swimming pools and appear quote luxurious.
The official report by the Ministry of the Interior said four people were arrested for their roles in a criminal group specialising in producing cannabis and narcotics and mailing them to the United Kingdom.
Investigators believe one of the suspects was in charge of cultivating the cannabis plants which he grew in his residence, another was tasked with communicating with the UK, and the remaining two are suspected of posting the drugs.
The group was believed to be run by an Irishman, who was not named in the report, linked to the murder of a journalist in Dublin in 1996.
The suspected ring leader was arrested in another operation by the National Police on 23rd October.
During the arrest, agents found a Colt Python handgun which matched the description of the weapon used to murder the journalist.
According to a report released following the suspected leader’s arrest, Irish authorities “link his organisation with the murder of a journalist which occurred in 1996 in the outskirts of Dublin where she was gunned down by two individuals who followed her on a motorcycle”, however, investigations are ongoing.
They did not name the journalist, however, in 1996 Irish investigative journalist Veronica Guerin, 36, was followed by a man on a motorbike who shot her six times before speeding away. The killing was described as “an attack on democracy” by Taoiseach John Bruton who attended her funeral as it was broadcast live.
Drug kingpin John Gilligan was later jailed and the ensuing investigattion by the Irish authrorities resulted in a change in tackling organised crime with the formation of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), which has assisted in the arrests of countless criminal gang members since.
It is unclear when the suspects are expected to stand trial for their alleged drug-trafficking.