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Two Irish men arrested for drug trafficking in Spain as part of 'Operation Leprechaun'

The two were held after the detention of a British drug dealer on the holiday island of Majorca.

shutterstock_263984222 Magaluf, Spain Shutterstock / holbox Shutterstock / holbox / holbox

POLICE IN MAJORCA have arrested two Irish men suspected of belonging to a drug trafficking gang.

The pair were held after the detention of a British drug dealer on the holiday island.

Detectives say that, following the man’s arrest, they discovered that he was a member of a criminal gang selling drugs to tourists and expatriates in Magaluf and the neighbouring resort of Palmanova.

One of the Irishmen is described as being one of the leaders of the organisation and has been accused of selling drugs in Punta Ballena, Magaluf’s brash party area.

He was initially held on Tuesday with his compatriot. 50 grams of cocaine and a quantity of anabolic steroids were seized during a subsequent search of his home.

Neither man has yet been named.

The operation – led by the Guardia Civil based in the municipality of Calvia – was dubbed Operation Leprechaun.

They confirmed the arrests in a statement released today.

“The Guardia Civil has arrested two Irish nationals suspected of forming part of a criminal drugs trafficking gang,” a spokesman said.

The leader of the gang is believed to be one of the two men arrested, who is suspected of selling drugs in the Punta Ballena area.

Officers said the operation was continuing and further arrests may now take place.

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    Mute stephen kavanagh
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 5:42 PM

    Operation Leprechaun! How dare the Spanish police stereotype us in this way!

    429
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    Mute Paddy Ryan
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 5:50 PM

    Could be worse. It could have been called “operation sunburnt paddy”…

    388
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    Mute UndieGrundy
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 6:00 PM

    Or own cops new one is called “Operation find yer man in Spain, you know, that fella Kinahan”.

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    Mute UndieGrundy
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 6:02 PM

    …they’ll give it all their resources when “Operation get that loudmouth McCabe” is over though.

    82
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    Mute Alan b
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 5:39 PM

    I wonder will they get the same coverage as the two girls that were “made” do it?

    195
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    Mute Paul Harte
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 5:49 PM

    It’s Spain not Peru and their drug dealers not school girls.

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    Mute Big bad bull
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 5:51 PM

    National school I think

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    Mute Rusty Balls
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 5:52 PM

    @alan I doubt it, given that the two girls you’re referring to, Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid, were caught with 11 KG of cocaine worth £1.5m while the article states this person was caught with 50g of cocaine and a quantity of anabolic steroids.

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    Mute Alan b
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 5:56 PM

    Who ever said they were school girls

    56
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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 7:46 PM

    No Hunbun (or media consultant) to hide behind.

    13
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    Mute Justin Devaney
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    Jun 4th 2016, 3:22 AM

    Operation “Grand stretch in the evening”

    15
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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 6:05 PM

    Probably get a suspended sentence because their lack of Spanish language skills would make prison too difficult for them

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    Mute Paddy Ryan
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 6:40 PM

    “Jesus loves you”… Nice to hear in a church.. not so nice in a Spanish prison…

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    Mute Em Ni Mhurchu
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 9:52 PM

    @Paddy Ryan…..brilliant!

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    Mute Paddy Ryan
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 10:05 PM

    Not mine Em.. but thanks.

    27
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    Mute James Darcy
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 10:47 PM

    Anne Marie’s attempt at being a cynical Journal commentator didn’t quite work out for her there.

    4
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    Mute jenni
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 11:12 PM

    You know the golden rule for highlighting someones response is to be like lightening- quick, sharp and to the point not the shiny spoon. But I wish you well on your next attempt.

    14
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    Mute Pat Roche
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    Jun 4th 2016, 12:50 AM

    Good man James- the public have voted on AnneMarie- u lose son!!

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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
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    Jun 4th 2016, 12:51 AM

    @ james. You’re obviously being ironic

    15
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    Mute Owen Kennedy
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 6:26 PM

    Begorrah and begosh….where is me pot of coke…

    98
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    Mute A Guy
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 6:51 PM

    Operation Leprechaun lol

    47
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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 7:48 PM

    I want to hear one of the Guardia Civil say “Leprechaun” with a spanish accent. I’d say it would be hillarious!!

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 8:25 PM

    Well given that they deal with a verbiage number of English speaking people on a day to day basis I’d say they’d have it spot on. The poor news reader might be an entirely different matter

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    Mute John Considine
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 10:04 PM

    What is a ‘verbiage number’ and is ‘leprechaun’ not an Irish word?

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    Mute Jason Twomey
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 6:30 PM

    Haha, busted by an operation with a goofy name.

    It’d be like getting arrested by Officer Dorkus. Or dying by slipping on a banana skin.

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    Mute Sean Callan
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 6:38 PM

    That’s a bit ‘OIRISH’ ole ole ????

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    Mute decky smith
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 8:20 PM

    No coke for the la de daws in dublin ths weekend

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    Mute Chief
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 9:35 PM

    For a second I read that as the main guy was caught with 50 grams, oh wait it does say that. Bout enough to keep a mouse going for a month.

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    Mute Cannijuana Seeds
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 10:06 PM

    Exactly.. drug dealing yes.. drug trafficking.. eh na

    10
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    Mute Paddy Ryan
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 10:09 PM

    Bout €2,500 worth give or take…. You could probably argue personal use at a push….

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    Mute Rob Gill
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    Jun 3rd 2016, 11:32 PM

    They’re all after me lucky charms….

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    Mute Marie Gunbay
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    Jun 4th 2016, 11:25 AM

    Ahhh sure will be grand when the pilot scheme to deploy a Gardai force based in Spain to combat drug crime…..did I read somewhere that some bright spark in (crumbling Leinster House) suggested this as an aid to combating the gangland/drugs crime in this country or have I just been in the sun too long.

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    Mute Aimoo
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    Jun 4th 2016, 5:12 AM

    What are gardai hiding the identy of these $cumbags for?

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    Mute Marie Gunbay
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    Jun 5th 2016, 12:27 AM

    I wonder what happened to the “pot of gold” after the operation was completed !

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jun 4th 2016, 3:35 PM

    ‘Operation Leprechaun’
    IS THAT NOT RACIST?

    1
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