merrion street

· Unprecedented cooperation between Irish and Spanish authorities

· Spanish officers accompany Garda officers on raids; Gardaí travel to Spain to assist in operations in that jurisdiction

· Tánaiste: “No let-up in pressure” on organised crime figures

The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD, today welcomed extensive police operations, targeted against organised criminal gangs, taking place in Ireland and Spain. The Tánaiste met with the Spanish Minister of the Interior in June of this year to discuss bilateral police cooperation against organised crime gangs operating in both countries.

Speaking this afternoon, the Tánaiste said: “Organised crime operates with little regard for international borders and it is vital therefore that Governments and law enforcement agencies work in close cooperation to combat the gangs involved. I met earlier in the summer with my Spanish counterpart to reaffirm our shared commitment to working together to combat transnational organised crime. The operations taking place today are another manifestation of that commitment, and a demonstration of our determination to do everything in our power to defeat these evil gangs.

“An Garda Síochána liaise closely with their Spanish counterparts, including through the Garda Liaison Officer stationed permanently in Madrid. The closeness of that relationship is such that Spanish officers accompanied their Irish colleagues on the raids this morning and in the same vein Garda officers travelled to Spain in recent days in order to assist first hand with the coordinated operations being undertaken by La Guardia Civil on Spanish soil. The intensity of this cooperation can now be seen. An Garda Síochána will continue to take whatever measures are open to them to counteract the deadly activities of gangs, and I know that the Commissioner and her colleagues are fully committed to maintaining and indeed augmenting the already excellent cooperation between our two countries, and with the law enforcement agencies of other countries whose communities have been damaged by these gangs and their heinous activities.”

The Tánaiste expressed her appreciation to the Spanish authorities and police for their efforts and for the cooperation extended to An Garda Síochána:

“I want to thank Minister Díaz and the Spanish authorities for the very high level of cooperation in relation to organised crime and the continuing effectiveness of the information-sharing channels that have been put in place between our two police forces.

“I am determined that Irish criminals will not escape justice by fleeing the jurisdiction, or by seeking to conduct their noxious activities from elsewhere. There will be no let-up in the pressure we are bringing to bear on these people.”