The father, who is in his 60s, and son, who is aged in his 30s, are suspected of operating a drug-trafficking network whose tentacles spread around the country, particularly along the east coast
The father, who is in his 60s, and son, who is aged in his 30s, are suspected of operating a drug-trafficking network whose tentacles spread around the country, particularly along the east coast.
The pair, from the Crumlin area, were arrested along with an associate aged in his 20s on Thursday.
A garda spokesperson said the father has since been released from custody.
“The man in his 60s arrested as part of this investigation has been released without charge, pending the submission of a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“The two men in their 20s and 30s remain in garda custody. Investigations are ongoing.”
The father and son are believed to be at the top of the gang, while the man aged in his 20s is suspected of involvement in money-laundering activities.
The arrests come after a lengthy investigation into the operation of the gang and a number of raids earlier this year.
Gardaí have seized over €3m worth of drugs linked to the gang, as well as €500,000 in cash and luxury vehicles in recent months.
The father has numerous previous convictions and previously operated as an armed robber in his younger days.
The son was previously a talented footballer who played at a high level but turned to crime when that career didn’t pan out.
He was linked to an alleged abduction in 2020 when a man was grabbed in Wexford and taken to Dublin over a €15,000 drug debt.
He was arrested at the time for false imprisonment but later released without charge.
“This crew have become one of the bigger operations in Dublin recently. They operate relatively below the radar, but are making plenty of money from the sale and supply of drugs,” a source said.
They operate along the east coast in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Wexford and have also been linked to drug conspiracies in the Cork area.
A Garda spokesperson said the operation involved the drug and serious crime units at Terenure and Sundrive Road stations “as part of ongoing investigations into organised criminal activity in the south Dublin and eastern regions”.
“The investigation targets persons suspected of being involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and drug-related intimidation as part of a criminal organisation,” a spokesperson said.
The two suspects still in custody are being detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 and can be held for up to a week.
In a previous operation against the gang, more than €3m worth of cocaine was seized in Wicklow, along with €353,000 in cash.
Around €300,000 in bank accounts was frozen, while eight vehicles, valued at more than €200,000, were seized as evidence of money-laundering and being the proceeds of crime.
