It’s understood the Spanish police investigation is at an advanced stage with arrests in the case imminent.
This morning, gardai announced that a total of ten searches were conducted in Spain, with gardaí from the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) supporting the Guardia Civil.
One search took place at a house in Dublin following a request from Spanish authorities and we can reveal that the property raided was in the Clontarf area and is the home of Gerry Hutch.
“This morning’s searches are about suspected money laundering offences in Spain,” a source told the Sunday World.
“Gerry Hutch is the target of the raid and his home was searched this morning.”
It’s understood the Spanish police investigation is at an advanced stage with arrests in the case imminent.
It is believed Hutch flew out of Ireland over the weekend.
Gerry Hutch
Sources say the investigation is being led by Spanish police but this morning’s developments came after information emerged after a separate investigation by gardai into the Hutch crime gang.
“It is a separate investigation but information from a previous probe into the Hutch gang led to this,” the source said.”
“His home has been searched in Dublin and other properties linked to him. The Spanish investigation is at an extremely advanced stage,” the source added.
In a statement this morning Gardaí announced the search operation.
“An officer from the Guardia Civil is in attendance and the search is supported by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and the Emergency Response Unit (ERU),” a garda spokesperson said.
“This morning’s operation is part of ongoing liaison between the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Guardia Civil in Spain, which targets a Transnational Organised Crime Group who are located both in Ireland and Spain.”
Gardaí say that a previous search targeting the group was conducted in Lanzarote in June 2022 by Guardia Civil on behalf of GNBCI.
During that operation, a property which had been used by one of Hutch’s close junior associates in Lanzarote was searched by officers.
The Lanzarote property targeted during was not the home where Gerry Hutch had been living before the outbreak of the Hutch/Kinahan feud.
The development comes just days after we revealed that ‘The Monk’ was considering running for general election in Dublin Central.
According to friends of the veteran criminal, Hutch has talked with his family, put together a campaign team and identified Corinthians boxing club as his HQ should he run.
Hutch would be vying for a position in the four-seat constituency against elected representatives Sinn Fein Leader Mary Lou McDonald, Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe, the Green Party’s Neasa Hourigan and Social Democrats Gary Gannon, elected in 2020.
“He has been asked a number of times over the years to go up for local or general election,” a source said. “He is very seriously considering it this time.”
Hutch, who was acquitted of the murder of David Byrne last year at the Special Criminal Court, has enjoyed huge popularity around the north inner city where he grew up and where members of his family still live.
He recently attended the homecoming of Olympian Kellie Harrington where he was treated like a local celebrity.
