The Irish crime gang impacted by the takedown of an international criminal messaging platform this week have become the "biggest drug trafficking gang in Ireland".
The international operation to shut down the platform known as Ghost involved Gardaí, Europol, Australian Federal Police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Eleven people were arrested and drugs and cash were seized earlier this week.
The Irish Times Security and Crime Editor Conor Lally told Newstalk Breakfast the group in question, known as 'The Family', is now larger than the Kinahan cartel.
"This group are originally from Ballyfermot and they have become the biggest crime and the biggest drug trafficking gang in Ireland," he said.
"That means they're larger than the Kinahan cartel.
"I suppose on one level that may be surprising for people but we have to keep in mind that if you think about the Byrne organised crime group, which was headed by Liam Byrne, that was the group that essentially ran the Kinahan cartel's Irish operation.
"That was really wiped out by the Garda response to the Kinahan-Hutch feud between 2016 and 2018."
Mr Lally said without the Byrne group being here to import and distribute drugs, "the Irish drug market is a lot less important to the cartel."
"They're still very active, obviously, across Europe," he said.
"In the absence of the Kinahan cartel, this particular Ballyfermot-based group has taken over".
Mr Lally said the Ballyfermot group has been growing over the past five years.
"Some of the biggest growth in cash seizures during the pandemic years that were found by the guards were owned by that particular group," he said.
"So, we have had plenty of warning that they've been expanding and getting stronger.
"They're now the biggest importers of heroin and cocaine into Ireland."
Some of the cash seized in Ireland. Image: An Garda SíochánaMr Lally said the Garda operation which began on Monday was a "big blow" to them.
"This particular Family gang were using the app to basically speak to each other and to speak to their contacts abroad and in Ireland," he said.
"They're the biggest targets of the Irish operation arising from that app being hacked by the police in Australia.
"That's probably the biggest problem that they have now - the police were able to access text messages, videos, photos that were sent over a six-month period.
"The Guards are going back through all of that to see what evidence they have on this particular Family gang and also three other main drugs trafficking gangs that were also on that app."
'Treasure trove of data'
Mr Lally said the operation also depleted the gang's drug supply.
"The gang has also lost a very large consignment of cocaine," he said.
"It seems that one of the ways they were bringing drugs into the country, by using couriers, has also been closed down.
"It is a blow for them but we do know from organised crime, these groups generally tend to absorb these kind of actions and they get going again very quickly.
"I think on this occasion, it's the treasure trove of data that's probably on the app over the last six months - that's the big problem for them".
Mr Lally added that "there's certainly always somebody there to fill the vacuum" when one gang is wiped out.
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