Gardaí join forces with Italians to fight 'mafia-style' gangs

Security sources say Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch is "playing games" by leaving the country

'The answer to transnational crime is in transnational effective law enforcement collaboration,' said Garda Assistant Commissioner Michael McElgunn. Picture: Moya Nolan

Gardaí have joined forces with Italy’s Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate to target top-level “mafia-style” drug and money-laundering gangs operating across Europe, including Ireland.

Detectives hope the agreement will give them an opportunity to talk to drug baron turned Italian State witness Raffaele Imperiale, who was once a major associate of Kinahan cartel bosses.

The development comes as detectives believe that Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch may be “playing games” with the cartel, the gardaí, and the public, with reports that he has fled the country.

Sources who know Hutch said it would not surprise them if the 60-year-old had already sneaked “back into the country” as he was trying to figure out how to keep himself safe and where.

Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch after being freed following his recent court case. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

Sources point out that investigations against Hutch continue, despite his acquittal last month of the February 2016 murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Dublin.

Sources said it was “highly unlikely” that more investigation files will not be sent to the DPP for consideration, including for directing a criminal organisation.

Garda HQ stated: “Italy’s Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (DIA) joined our Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau in Dublin to formally ratify Ireland’s operational participation in the @Europol and @EUCouncil supported @ON Operational Network.

“Established by the DIA, the network now involves 40 international police forces across 35 countries collectively targeting top-level, mafia-style organised crime groups that pose both a global and European threat.” 

The Garda DOCB is due to travel to Europol headquarters in the Hague next week for meetings. Under the project, police forces will share expertise, knowledge, technology, and intelligence.

“The idea behind this is to target top-level mafia-style gangs operating in Europe,” said one senior source.

Gardaí believe that the Kinahan cartel, through Imperiale, had a “direct link” to the Camorra drug trafficking organisation.

The UN and the EU reported back in September 2021 that Irish, Italian, Bosnian, and Dutch traffickers were collaborating in wholesale drug trafficking from their base in Dubai.

Media reports referred to a “super cartel” comprising of Kinahan boss Daniel Kinahan, Dutch crime lord Ridouan Taghi, Raffaele Imperiale, and Bosnian chief Edin Gacanin.

Imperiale is co-operating with Italian police, and gardaí hope, via the network, to meet him and elicit information on the Kinahans.

Speaking at the agreement signing in Garda HQ, Assistant Commissioner Michael McElgunn, National Crime and Security Intelligence Service, said “the answer to transnational crime is in transnational effective law enforcement collaboration”.

Director of DIA, Maurizio Vallone, said his agency was asked by the European Commission to set up the network to “fight mafia-style organisations”.

He said the collaboration with the Gardaí would target not only drug trafficking, but also money laundering, and noted that Gardaí had a “long history of tackling terrorism and organised crime”.

Reports that Hutch has fled the country come just four weeks after his acquittal.

“The thing with him is he plays lots of games,” said a security source. 

He may indeed have left, but he could be back already. He’s playing games with everyone."

Gardaí have alerted their European colleagues to be on the lookout for Hutch.

Garda sources estimated the capability of the Kinahan cartel in Ireland is “very limited” — currently, at least.