Gardaí to work with foreign agencies on IS arrests

Garda counter-terrorism officers are to consult with foreign security agencies following the arrest of two men on suspicion of funding so-called Islamic State (IS), writes Cormac O’Keeffe of the Irish Examiner.

The arrests were part of a co-ordinated operation between Ireland and two other European states targeting a money-laundering racket suspected of supplying funds to the terror organisation.

An Algerian aged in his 30s and a Moroccan aged in his 40s were detained on Monday in relation to crimes under the Terrorist Offences Act 2005.

They were questioned on suspicion of money-laundering to fund international terrorism.

Garda sources told the Irish Examiner the arrests were “significant” and part of a Europe-wide security operation.

Intelligence from the foreign agencies informed the Irish operation, sources said.

The operation here was organised by the Security & Intelligence Section at Garda HQ — the force’s intelligence-gathering arm — and led on the ground by the Counter Terrorism International unit.

Four searches were conducted on Monday. Three were across Dublin: in Stepaside, south county Dublin; Swords, north county Dublin; and South Circular Rd in the south inner city. A fourth search was conducted in Trim, Co Meath.

The men had been living in the country for some time.

An amount of digital devices — laptops, mobile phones, and storage devices — were removed along with other documentation and financial statements.

The men were detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, which allows for a maximum detention period of 24 hours.

The Moroccan man was released early yesterday and the Algerian national was expected to be released last night.

Garda sources stressed there would not be speedy charges in cases like this. “This is a very complicated investigation,” said one source. “The examination of the devices and the documents will take time. It is painstaking work.”

The results of the Garda examination will be “filtered back to a co-ordinating group” involving senior officers from all three security agencies.

Officers from the three agencies will try and “follow the money trail” across the jurisdictions and establish the connections.

The operation is the second one targeting funding of IS in less than two weeks, although officers said they were not connected.

Sources said the public should be “assured” by the operations in that they show Garda intelligence units were “on top of the situation”, had taken action, and were working with foreign agencies.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the vacant position at the helm of Security & Intelligence was filled in recent weeks with the appointment of Chief Superintendent Gerry Russell. The overall boss of Crime & Security Branch, assistant commissioner John O’Mahoney, is due to retire next month.