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A NUMBER OF international drug traffickers have been arrested across the European continent as the net closes on Irish drug dealers who were supplied cocaine through a Chilean distributor who was arrested last week.
Distributors of cocaine have been arrested in the Netherlands, the Caribbean, Germany as well as Chile where the drug baron ‘El Rico’ was arrested last week.
Approximately 60% of Ireland’s cocaine had been coming through El Rico and his distributors, according to sources.
The arrest of El Rico and the subsequent seizure of his electronic devices is the main reason for the international arrests. He had been using a German IT protection system, used by many multinational financial organisations, in an attempt to safeguard his communications. Leading members of the Kinahan cartel were in conversation with El Rico by using this system.
The seizure of the phones now means that police in a number of jurisdictions have access to El Rico’s records which go back to 2011 – meaning any deal made between him and Irish gangs is currently being accessed by police.
Charges for murder, drug trafficking and the importation of arms are expected to be brought against Irish drug dealers by US and Dutch authorities in the coming weeks once all of the encrypted communications have been accessed and logged.
The main gang leaders of the Kinahan cartel have fled Ireland in the last six months. Some have a number of outstanding arrest warrants in Spain, Ireland and the UK.
TheJournal.ie contacted Dutch police (Politie and its regional unit in Amsterdam) earlier this week. Both said they could not officially comment on active cases. However, a spokesman did confirm that Dutch authorities are attempting to extradite El Rico to the Netherlands to face charges. A request for a formal comment was denied.
Earlier this week, a Dutch military boat captured 600kg of cocaine in the Caribbean thought to have been sourced by one of El Rico’s main allies before his arrest.
Leading members of the Irish cartel, including Daniel Kinahan, have fled in recent weeks with many arriving in Dubai in recent days.
Well-placed sources have told TheJournal.ie that this is the “beginning of the end” for the cartel in its current form.
Messages from El Rico and his associates to the Kinahan cartel go back a number of years. The German server used to send the messages has also been handed an order to allow US investigators access to the communications.
The Kinahan cartel is now relying on its heroin trade to keep it in liquidity.
Detectives in Dublin are aware of El Rico’s arrest and have asked that any information garnered from the Chilean investigation regarding Irish interests be passed on.
The result of the arrest means that the Kinahan cartel will now have to find a new supplier as soon as possible. A number of large seizures by garda units have left Ireland with an impending cocaine shortage.
Sources have said that when shortages of drugs hit cities, they create a potential for tension between gangs. Those with a decent supply are now expected to target areas which they know have nothing left to sell. Moving into another gang’s territory is “inviting a war”, according to one source.
The arrest of El Rico will send shockwaves through drug trafficking rings across the world. The phones which have been seized implicate dozens of mid-to-high level distributors in South America. Chile is now “too hot” to get drugs, according to underworld sources familiar with the dynamics of trafficking.
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At least wait till halloween is over. Money hungry feckers.
Aaaaaagh!!!! We need a new non religious holiday for this time of year. Something for everyone who is sick of this capitalist skullf@#kery. It should start no earlier than December and be a time to strengthen relationships with family and friends…without all the guilt and fairytales. Ok, yes…kinda like Festivous without the pole.
Give us a break It’s far too early.!
@Gerry Fallon: Very few people in this country are still Catholic. Why are we still calling it Christmas? I don’t believe in god. This festival does not represent me.
Shup you.
You don’t have to believe in ghosts to enjoy a good ghost story.
The reason there’s holidays that time of year is because of Christmas. It’s the name of the holiday same as Halloween.
Take the chip off your shoulder and take off that stupid hat while you’re at it ya muppet
What are you telling me for? Just do what you want. Nobody cares whether you believe or not.ok
Let’s all change our traditions because it doesn’t represent the one person complaining about it! Quickly everyone, let’s all call it “Annual Gift Day” from now on before the mass outrage begins!
Mick, the reason there’s a holiday that time of year is because of ancient Celtic traditions. The catholic Church, only later, appropriated those ‘holidays’ changing the name by which they were known and re-branding them as ‘Catholic’.
@Siesztrzewitowski Brzenczyszczykiewic: Does this mean you’re willing to forgo the Christmas holidays and work as normal for flat rate pay? Good man, your boss will be delighted with your progressive beliefs.
Seriously? Its October….
@Kerry Blake: Not with the shops… It is Greedmas time.
“we’re walking in the air…”
@Kieran Stafford:
We’re shopping in the air
We’re buying in the moonlit sky
The people far below are shopping as we fly
I’m holding very tight
I’m buying in the midnight blue
I’m finding I can spend so high above with you
Far across the world
The shops go by like trees
The rivers and the hills
The forests and the streams
Children gaze open mouth
Taken by surprise
Nobody down below believes their bank accounts
We’re surfing in the internet
We’re swimming in the frozen internet
We’re drifting over wed ads
Mountains floating by
Suddenly swooping low on an Amazon deep
Arousing of a mighty monster from its sleep
We’re searching in the air
We’re floating in the midnight web
And everyone who sees us runs over us as we fly
A lot effort put in there Alois. Was it worth it
Is it just me..or is Halloween being pushed more and more every year..at least give the witch bitch a chance to vanish before bringing in the bearded bollox..
I wish we gave Halloween some proper air-time in Ireland. It has some very beautiful and poignant traditions about honouring the dead.
Fup off !
It’s way to confusing for kids my little lad is convinced Christmas is next never mind Halloween! Even though our house is done up for Halloween, I’ve had to give him a timeline so he Understands better.
P!ss off
For the love of all that lives, leave anything to do with Christmas out untill the 1st of December it spoils everything when its too early.
I think it’s beautiful, ho ho ho
@STARVIN MARVIN: Too early…
It’s beginning to look a lot like F**k this!
Saw Brown Thomas Window today…it looks daft.
Any company that puts up chrimbo stuff before December 1 loses my business for at least a year.
Todd i do the same . Everyone should boycott these shops.
have your say