Friday 30 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 14135Drug trafficking

Twelve arrested in Irish and Spanish raids on drug trafficking network

Twelve suspected members of an alleged Irish criminal network were arrested in coordinated raids in Ireland and Spain, six in each country, in an operation supported by Europol. They are suspected of large-scale drug trafficking, mainly moving drugs hidden in vehicles from Spain to Ireland. Five men were arrested on a Monday and held at garda stations in Dublin, and a sixth man was arrested later and remains in custody under anti-gang legislation. As of the report on 26 March 2025, no charges had been reported.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrested26 Mar
    2 reports
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Twelve suspected members of an alleged Irish criminal network were arrested in Ireland and Spain.
  • The network has been described as a high-risk criminal network and is linked to the drug gang known as 'The Family', which gardaí describe as a main supplier of heroin and cocaine.
  • The suspects are believed to be involved in large-scale drug trafficking, mainly transporting drugs hidden in vehicles from Spain to Ireland.
Where
  • Six people were arrested in Ireland and six in Spain.
  • The five men arrested on the Monday were held at garda stations in Dublin.
When
Five men were arrested on a Monday, and a sixth man was arrested later; the report was published on 26 March 2025.
Cause
The investigation began after the Ghost encrypted communication platform, which gardaí had dismantled with Spanish police, was taken down in September 2024.
Investigation
  • Europol has supported the investigation since November 2023 and deployed two experts with mobile offices to Spain and Ireland on the day of the arrests.
  • Europol, the Guardia Civil and @ON Network officers were present during the arrests.
  • Investigators traced several Ghost user handles back to members of the network.
Charges
The suspects were arrested on suspicion of facilitating, assisting or conspiring with an organised crime group, and no charges have been reported.
Other details
  • The suspects are being detained under anti-gang legislation and can be questioned for up to a week.
  • The wider Ghost operation involved nine countries and more than 51 arrests since September 2024.
19 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatTwelve suspected members of an alleged Irish criminal network were arrested in Ireland and Spain. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe suspects are believed to be involved in large-scale drug trafficking, mainly transporting drugs hidden in vehicles from Spain to Ireland. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe six men questioned in Ireland are linked to the drug gang known as 'The Family', described by gardaí as a main supplier of heroin and cocaine. (rte.ie)
  • whatTwelve suspects were arrested in coordinated raids across Ireland and Spain. (gript.ie)
  • whatThe drugs were primarily moved hidden in vehicles from Spain to Ireland. (gript.ie)
  • whereSix people were arrested in Ireland and six in Spain. (rte.ie)
  • whereSix arrests were made in Ireland and six in Spain. (gript.ie)
  • whenFive men were arrested on the Monday and were being held at garda stations in Dublin. (rte.ie)
  • causeThe investigation began after the Ghost encrypted communication platform was taken down in September 2024. (gript.ie)
  • investigationEuropol, the Guardia Civil and the @ON Network officers were present during the arrests. (rte.ie)
  • investigationGardaí had earlier dismantled a Ghost encrypted communication platform used by the gang with Spanish police. (rte.ie)
  • investigationInvestigators traced several Ghost user handles back to network members. (gript.ie)
  • investigationEuropol has supported the investigation since November 2023. (gript.ie)
  • investigationEuropol deployed two experts with mobile offices to Spain and Ireland on the day of the arrests. (gript.ie)
  • chargeThe suspects were arrested on suspicion of facilitating, assisting or conspiring with an organised crime group. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe suspects are allegedly involved in large-scale drug trafficking. (gript.ie)
  • otherA sixth man was arrested later and remained in custody. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe suspects are being detained under anti-gang legislation and can be questioned for up to a week. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe wider Ghost operation involved nine countries and more than 51 arrests since last September. (gript.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 26 Mar2025
    Arrestedgript.ie, first report
    Arrests deal “massive blow” to “Irish high-risk criminal network” - Gript

    Reports a Europol-supported operation in which six suspects were arrested in Ireland and six in Spain, linked to the Ghost encrypted communication platform takedown. No suspects are named and no county is given.

    suspectsuspectsuspectsuspectsuspectsuspectsuspectsuspectsuspectsuspectsuspectsuspect
  2. 26 Mar2025
    Arrestedrte.ie, follow-up
    12 arrests in Ireland, Spain targeting Irish crime gang

    Europol-coordinated operation: six arrests in Ireland and six in Spain, with suspects detained under anti-gang legislation. The article describes the network as linked to the 'The Family' drug gang and a Ghost encrypted platform takedown. No charges are reported.

    suspect