Detective arrested as part of inquiry into gardaí with organised crime links

A detective garda has been arrested and questioned as part of a wider investigation into members of the force who are suspected of working for criminal groups.

Sources say the suspect may have had links with the Hutch organised crime gang and had dealings with some of the group’s associates.

The detective, who was part of the Garda’s Special Detective Unit – which is responsible for investigating organised crime and the protection of politicians – was arrested on Wednesday by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

He was subsequently released without charge pending a file being sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. An Garda Síochána confirmed that he has been suspended from duty.

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Gardaí are understood to have carried out a search of the man’s home and seized a significant amount of cash as well as documents, laptops and phones. Ammunition was also found at the property, although the officer in question is understood to hold a firearms licence.

The officer was detained under section four of the Criminal Justice Act at a Garda station and released after questioning.

The Special Detective Unit, where the officer worked, is responsible for the investigation of threats to State security and the monitoring of people who pose a threat to this on both national and international fronts, such as terrorist and organised crime groups.

The unit also provides security for visiting VIPs, cash-in-transit movements and armed response. The unit is the operational wing of the witness security programme. The Emergency Response Unit, a highly-trained and equipped specialist intervention unit, is also part of the unit.

RTÉ has reported that the detective worked in the unit for a number of years and has been involved in several investigations into serious crime and paramilitary activity, including giving evidence to high-profile court cases where individuals were charged with membership of the IRA and explosives offences.

The arrest forms part of a wider investigation into members of the force who are suspected of either working for or supplying information to criminal gangs or their associates.

The Hutch organised crime group has been implicated in a number of killings and gun attacks in the capital over recent years.