Over the weekend gardaí seized just over €1.7m in cash.
Gardaí believe most of the money was owned by the Kinahan cartel though some of it is linked to another criminal gang made up of members of the Traveller community.
Continuing this crackdown theme, gardaí yesterday arrested 18 people on a “day of action” against crime in the Carlow/Kilkenny region. Crimes including theft, assault, fraud, or burglary are being investigated. Almost as an aside, three men were arrested yesterday following the seizure of a machine gun and a pistol in Longford.
Adding to the impression that the saints and scholars are with O’Leary in the grave, Interpol yesterday fingered Ireland as a link in international smuggling chains.
The World Atlas Of Illicit Flows looked at more than 1,000 smuggling routes and Ireland is cited three times. We are linked to the flow of foreign fighters to Syria and Iraq — around 30 individuals — and mentioned as a country where a rhino horn seizure has been made. Ireland is also criticised as a base for migrant trafficking into and within the EU.
In a world of finite and diminishing resources, it is not surprising that Interpol found that environmental crime, including illegal exploitation of oil, minerals, and gold, has become the largest financial driver of conflict, ahead of drugs. This report is another strong argument for robust Garda reform.