Searches have been carried out in Ireland and Spain targeting the activities of the Hutch organised crime group.

Gardaí said the searches are targeting a ‘transnational organised crime group’ based in Ireland and Spain.

They said the gang is suspected of involvement in “money laundering across a number of jurisdictions”.

Newstalk sources have confirmed that the operation is part of an investigation into the Hutch organised crime group.

Armed gardai at the Regency Murder Trial in Dublin, 23-01-2023. Image: RollingNews

One search was carried out at a house in Clontarf on foot of an International Letter of Request (ILOR) from Spanish authorities.

Ten searches were carried out in Spain with Gardaí from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) assisting the Spanish Guardia Civil.

The Irish search in Ireland involved armed gardaí, CAB (Criminal Assets Bureau), the GNBCI and an officer from the Guardia Civil.

The operation targeting the gang is part of an ongoing partnership between Irish and Spanish authorities

A previous search targeting the group was conducted in Lanzarote in June 2022 by Spanish police on behalf of the Gardaí.

Main image is a file photo showing Spanish police officers of the Guardia Civil at a crime in Almeria, Spain, 22-10-2024. Image: Alamy