Dramatic footage has been released of the arrest of Kinahan cartel enforcer Johnny Morrissey in Spain.
The footage, released today by the Spanish Guardia Civil, shows the moment police arrested the notorious gang member at his bolthole in Malaga. The four minute long video shows armed members of the Guardia Civil breaking their way into the villa - with a police helicopter surveying the raid above.
A topless Morrissey, who was named earlier this year by the US Treasury Department as one of seven key members of the Kinahan cartel, is then seen being handcuffed inside the home. As officers restrained the gangster, they then began searching the home - with the footage showing one officer taking down a large painting of a naked woman from the wall.
Read more: 'Key member' of Kinahan cartel arrested in Spain after being named by US authorities
Morrissey, still topless is then seen sitting on a chair as officers search through papers, laptops and other equipment inside the home. The video shows passports, watches and other documentation being laid out on a bed as Morrissey sits next to a shelved bottle of Nero Vodka - the product police say he used to launder his money.
Later in the footage a police officer is seen handling what appears to be a machete - discovered inside the home. As boxes of materials are taken out of the home, police are seen escorting Morrissey off the premises.
Later in the footage police are seen searching Morrissey's sea-view mansion in Marbella - which appears to include a home gym - complete with a framed series of photos of Irish MMA star Conor McGregor in the wall. The shocking footage comes after it emerged last night that Morrissey had been arrested following a massive investigation by Spanish police - in tandem with gardai and UK authorities.
Spanish police say a total of 11 properties were searched as part of the operation targeting Morrissey - who they say laundered a staggering €350,000 a day. Morrissey, who is an Irish passport holder, was formally identified by the US Treasury Department as an enforcer for the Kinahan cartel.
It is estimated that he could have laundered more than €200 million for the cartel in the past year alone. Referring to Morrissey, although he wasn’t named in a Spanish police statement about the operation, Guardia Civil said: “The main target in Spain devoted himself to collecting large amounts of money in cash from criminal organisations operating in our country and handing it through the Hawala system to organised criminal groups in other countries and vice-versa.
“Investigators were able to corroborate that during the time the investigation lasted, he allegedly managed to transfer more than two hundred million euros.”
Outlining the role Nero Drinks played, the Civil Guard said in a statement: “The principal members of the organisation in Spain allegedly created a luxury vodka brand promoted at shows, parties and events at nightclubs and restaurants in luxury Costa del Sol environments, presenting it as a successful drinks brand. This couldn’t be further from reality because according to information from tax authorities, it couldn’t be funding the lifestyle of the people arrested.
“Similarly they allegedly created another firm in the UK which was dependent on another company created in Gibraltar, with the aim of hiding the true identity of the directors of the firms that were used to launder the money coming from Hawala.”
Johnny Morrissey, full name John Francis Morrissey, was one of seven people hit with sanctions in April and named by the US department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The US authorities said of Morrissey, so close to alleged cartel boss Daniel Kinahan he was invited to his wedding in Dubai in the summer of 2017: “John Morrissey has worked for the Kinahan Organised Crime Group (KOCG) for several years, including as an enforcer, and facilitates international drug shipments for the organisation from South America. John Morrissey is also involved in money laundering.
READ NEXT:
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- Kinahan cartel flew millions of cocaine into Ireland on private plane
- Daniel Kinahan faces court after snubbing CAB in bid to seize property
- Senior Garda to be based in UAE as they continue Kinahan cartel pursuit
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