Watch: Five arrested as part of international organised crime operation

Assets worth over €70,000 were seized, including cash. Source: @Eurojust twitter video

Five people have been arrested in Ireland as part of a major operation by authorities here, Lithuania and Britain targeting a Lithuanian organised crime gang.

The criminal network is involved in trafficking drugs, human beings and large scale money laundering.

Eight searches were conducted along the South and South East of Ireland.

The five arrested were brought to the High Court on Wednesday on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by Lithuanian authorities.

Four men were remanded in custody and a woman was released on bail.

A statement issued by Eurojust, the EU judicial cooperation body, said: “Judicial authorities and police in Lithuania, UK and Ireland, with the support of Eurojust and Europol, dismantled a criminal network in drug trafficking, money laundering and trafficking in human beings.” 

It said there have been a total of 18 arrests and assets worth €700,000 seized.