Gardai were last night questioning a leading mob boss after detectives targeted his operation and seized more than €700,000 in cash.
The raid by the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau targeted an infamous gang in south-west Dublin whose members have emerged as some of the city’s biggest cocaine and heroin dealers.
The organisation, known as The Family because it is headed by two brothers, earns millions of euro a year from the drugs trade.
But it has put them in the sights of DOCB and detectives made their move on Wednesday as part of Operation Tara.Officers carried out 24 searches across south-west Dublin that resulted in six men being arrested and the seizure of €700,000 in cash, 16 luxury watches and eight high value cars.
Sources said the gang leader was held after gardai raided his home and found €32,000 in cash as well as several of the watches, often used to launder money.
Several other units joined DOCB in the operation including the Special Crime Task Force, the Air Support Unit, the Emergency Response Unit and the Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit plus the Criminal Assets Bureau. Officers said the gang was moving €200,000 in cash in a northern-registered car when the ERU forced it to stop on the M3 motorway outside Dublin.
All the suspects were being held in Dublin Garda stations last night.
Det Chief Supt Seamus Boland, head of DOCB, said the operation was targeted at crime gangs causing significant damage in the capital.
He added: “The seizure of cash, valuable goods, vehicles and particular documents and the associated arrests is considered an important step in An Garda Siochana’s ambition to effectively tackle the criminal groups involved.”
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