Gardaí target criminal network suspected of trafficking horses with raids in six counties

Members of An Garda Síochána, supported by Europol working on the international operation, focused on the network suspected of trafficking the animals under falsified documents and manipulated microchips to conceal their true identities. File picture

Gardaí have carried out searches across six counties as part of an international enforcement operation targeting a criminal network suspected of trafficking horses across Europe. 

Members of An Garda Síochána, supported by Europol working on the international operation, focused on the network suspected of trafficking the animals under falsified documents and manipulated microchips to conceal their true identities.

The operation took place between Tuesday and Wednesday with eight searches carried out in Galway, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Kildare, Dublin and Donegal by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI).

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) also provided assistance with the searches along with officers from the Belgian Police and Europol.

The investigation, led by Belgian authorities, centres on the alleged large-scale trade of horses whose identification details and histories were fraudulently altered, enabling their movement and resale throughout Europe.

The criminal network is suspected of forging horse passports and manipulating microchips to grant the animals new identities, obscuring their true background and eligibility for human consumption.

Evidence seized during the searches is currently under analysis and investigations are ongoing, a garda spokesman said. 

An Garda Síochána worked on the operation with police forces and administrative authorities in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, with Europol providing support in information exchange, operational coordination and analytical expertise.