Spanish police honour two gardaí for work on organised crime investigations

Two members of An Garda Síochána have been honoured by Spanish police for their work relating to investigations associated with organised crime.

Detective Superintendent Seamus Boland of the National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau was among those awarded the "Merit Order Cross of the Guardia Civil".

A Garda Liaison Officer was also recognised for their work, but they can not be identified for security reasons.

The awards highlight the collaboration between An Garda Síochána and the Guardia Civil and the positive outcomes they bring.

They received their medals at a ceremony in the headquarters of the Guardia Civil, in Mallorca, Spain, where Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll, Special Crime Operations (SCO) was a guest of the Guardia Civil.

One case in which An Garda Síochána helped Spanish police involved the conviction of James Quinn, 35, at a court in Malaga in June 2018 in connection with the murder of Gary Hutch in September 2015.

Since the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) was established in March 2015, it has been involved in the seizure of 97 weapons including 11 machine-guns; seven assault rifles; eight shotguns; 55 handguns, five rifles and 11 stun-guns.

They have also seized almost €8.5m in cash and the seizure around €155m worth of controlled substances since March 2015.