THE businessman arrested after being caught red-handed transporting €10.6million of cocaine was only released from prison last year, we can reveal.
The Irish Sun has also learned that he is suspected of operating as a major drugs importation facilitator for the country’s top mobs — and was previously nabbed with over €1m in cash in the UK.
The haulage driver remained in garda custody last night after being intercepted driving a lorry on the M9 in Kilkenny shortly after 10am on Tuesday.
The 152kg of cocaine packed into the HGV was so well concealed that gardai had to drive it to Dublin Port, where it was X-rayed before the cocaine was uncovered behind a wall in a refrigerated unit.
Specialist cops have established the huge haul belonged to The Family gang, the No 1 narcotic traffickers in the country, in yet another blow to the west Dublin group from Ballyfermot.
But it’s the takeout of the man behind the wheel by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau that may well prove to be the most significant element of the bust.
A source told us: “It’s a massive result. This man has been a serious player in organised crime for a long number of years.”
The man was caught following a significant surveillance op over a lengthy period of time.
Once the arrest was made and the lorry was taken away, another element of the operation was underway as two businesses and a house in Waterford were raided by gardai who seized documents, phones and other electronic devices.
The Irish Sun has learned that the suspect was only released from custody last year after he had been sentenced over another, less serious matter.
We also confirmed that he had been under investigation by UK authorities, after he was caught with €1million in cash in 2019.
The PSNI are aware of the figure, who was involved in cross-border smuggling and has links to associates of IRA man Slab Murphy.
‘HIGH LEVEL’
He owns a number of properties in the south-east of the country where drugs were suspected to have been stored after collection before being transported to their destination.
The businessman has also been behind a tranche of companies.
But it’s the drugs game where he operated at a “high level” and sources say that he has previously been contracted by the Kinahan cartel along with other gangs in Dublin.
Cops believe he was driving the truck with the gang’s cocaine because he was trusted by The Family
‘CAPTURE IS SIGNIFICANT’
Another source explained: “There has been a series of huge seizures linked to The Family gang and they are very paranoid about who they work with.
“His capture is significant in terms of the impact it will have on others in the drugs game.”
Detectives believe the cocaine was all destined for the Irish market.
The Family mob is Ireland’s main importers of cocaine and heroin having overtaken the Kinahan cartel.
The man arrested on Tuesday is being held in relation to facilitating and enhancing drug distribution activities for an organised crime group.
He is currently being quizzed by high-level garda interviewers at a Garda station in the Eastern Region, who can detain him for up to seven days.
