The Spanish-Irish investigation into the Dublin-headquartered drugs gang known as The Family has resulted in the seizure of drugs valued at about €30 million and the arrests of 20 people.
Spanish officers have also recovered a firearm and ammunition, along with seizing 12 luxury cars and four trucks – most with hidden compartments for drug smuggling. The drugs network had bases in three regions in Spain, with Ireland the destination for the cocaine and herbal cannabis.
The trucks and semi trailers, with Irish registration plates, were being used to smuggle the drugs from the gang’s Spanish hub into the Republic, via France.
A total of 314kg of cocaine, valued at about €25 million, and 220kg of marijuana has been seized in the operation, which has involved An Garda Síochana, Spain’s Guardia Civil and the Italian Antimafia Investigation Directorate.
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The quantity of drugs found during several days of action in Ireland and Spain offers insight into the very large quantities of drugs being smuggled by The Family into Ireland at any one time. The operation has also revealed a very established logistical operation supporting the smuggling of the Irish group’s cocaine and cannabis from Spain to the Republic.
The gang, which is led by a group of Dublin men who are related to each other, has become the largest drugs group in the Republic since the demise of the Kinahan cartel’s Irish operation, the Byrne organised crime group. Of the six men arrested in Ireland since the operation began this week, three are regarded as key figures at the apex of the Irish crime group.
This week, more than 100kg of cocaine was found in the gang’s main unit in Castellon de la Plana, in eastern Spain, where the drugs were being vacuum-packed for concealment in the secret compartments in the vehicles.
While the Garda and Europol have confirmed the arrests of 12 people this week, six in Ireland and six in Spain, new information emerging from Spain has outlined the scale of the Dublin gang’s Spanish operation.
The Department of the Treasury in Spain said the illicit smuggling operation was based in an industrial warehouse in Castellon de la Plana. There was also “another main headquarters in Dublin, serving as the destination” as well as “branches of this network” in Murcia and Málaga.
[ Gardaí carry out raids on leadership of drugs gang known as The FamilyOpens in new window ]
At the main unit in Castellon de la Plana, the Department said members of the gang were arrested “red-handed”, including an “Irish representative of the international network”.
A total of four sites were searched in Spain, including three in Castellon de la Plana and one in Orihuela. Between those searches and the operation in Dublin on Monday the number of arrests made has reached 20, including Irish, Spanish and Colombian suspects. Also found was €35,000 in cash, four computers, 35 mobile phones and documents relating to the gang’s activities.
