Man believed to be leading figure in crime gang ‘The Family’ due in court

he man was arrested on Sunday at Dublin Airport by gardaí attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. Picture: Dan Linehan.

A man in his 40s, believed to a be a leading figure in the organised crime group known as The Family, is due to appear before the District Court this morning following his arrest as part of a garda investigation in west Dublin.

The man was arrested on Sunday at Dublin Airport by gardaí attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), who are targeting the activities of an organised crime group operating in the area.

Following his arrest, the man was charged with offences in connection with organised crime activities. 

He is scheduled to appear before District Court 2 at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Monday morning at 10.30am.

Gang subject to long-running investigations 

The Family has been a top target of Garda Organised and Serious Crime and the Criminal Assets Bureau for decades, more recently becoming the target of the Revenue Commissioners.

The network has been hit repeatedly by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, including a succession of major hauls and arrests of top lieutenants and logistics bosses last year.

This includes the haul of 104kg of cocaine in Wexford and Dublin in December, along with the confiscation of 116kg of cocaine in Co Laois last October.

The Irish Examiner previously reported that The Family is estimated to traffic at least 100kg of cocaine into Ireland every two months.

The network supplies groups across the island of Ireland.