Hutch Crime Gang: Spain and Ireland Launch A Joint Crackdown To Dismantle The Group
Law enforcement agencies in both Spain and Ireland have intensified efforts against the notorious Hutch Crime Gang carrying out a string of searches in both countries. It is part of a broader investigation into the gang’s nefarious operations across the world — especially money laundering.
Combating Organised Crime In A Joint Collaboration
For the last several years, Dublin’s Hutch Crime Gang has been under international law enforcement scrutiny. The Guardia Civil in Spain raided ten different places, and searched several on the island of Lanzarote.
Meanwhile Gardaí officers from units including the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigations (GNBCI), the Emergency Response Unit and the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) simultaneously searched a property linked to the gang in Dublin.
It came after an international letter of request and mutual assistance from Spanish authorities as part of coordinated effort to tackle the Hutch Crime Gang. Officers from the GNBCI have also travelled to Spain for the investigation which proves that Irish and Spanish authorities are gaining closer working relationships in the fight against transnational crime.
Global Operations of the Hutch Crime Gang
For years Hutch Crime Gang has been a law enforcement target not just in Ireland, but also across Europe. Their activities cover many criminal enterprises, but money laundering has recently been a main focus of investigations.
Irish and Spanish authorities have been probing the gang’s money laundering operations for at least two years, trying to trace and disrupt a web of networks that purport to funnel money illegitimately.
This transnational investigation focuses on the close cooperation of the Gardaí of Ireland and Span’s Guardia Civil. Garda headquarters confirmed this is yet another step in the GNBCI’s ongoing collaboration with the Guardia Civil to dismantle the criminal organisation.
Previous And Current Investigations and Operations
It’s not the first time the Hutch Crime Gang has been targeted in Spain. In June, Guardia Civil conducted a major search for the GNBCI in Lanzarote, joining the transnational effort to crack down on the gang.
The Guardia Civil has stated that due to a “secrecy order” in Spain, details of the current investigation cannot be fully disclosed, but they confirm the investigation is ongoing.
In addition, authorities are shutting down the gang’s financial network in an attempt to sever its money laundering operations and prevent the sources of its illegal income.
Money laundering is a vital scheme in place for organised crime groups like the Hutch Crime Gang: so their gains from illegal activities can be made to look legitimate and unseen.
Hutch Crime Gang’s History Of Violence And Drug Trafficking
The Hutch Crime Gang is on a par with some of the most violent criminal groups in Ireland. It has been caught up in a deadly feud with the Kinahan organised crime group, another powerful Dublin based syndicate over the past nine years.
At least 18 killings in Ireland and Spain have followed this 2015 feud, which is one of the most violent gang wars in Ireland’s recent history.
The feud started after Hutch Crime Gang leader Gary Hutch was shot dead in Spain in 2015. The Hutch gang has retaliated, shooting dead Kinahan Gang associate David Byrne in 2016 at the infamous Regency Hotel shooting. It was a huge escalation to the feud, and the violence since has had repercussions in Dublin and Spain.
Structure and Operations Of The Hutch Crime Gang
Unlike other organised crime groups, the Hutch Crime Gang is known for its fluid and flexible structure. Familial ties and long standing loyalties are what woo the Hutch Crime Gang in place of the strict hierarchies that other criminal organisations operate under.
“It is less hierarchical than other gangs, being more of a patriarchal organisation motivated by loyalty and money,” Detective Superintendent David Gallagher, a senior investigator in drugs and organised crime, said.
This loose structure means the Hutch Crime Gang can rapidly change with time and they can use different partners and affiliates to carry out their criminal activities. But since 2015 the feud with the Kinahan gang has caused the Hutch family and their associates to tighten up and fully consolidate their operations, marking the family out as a more united and closed unit.
The Ongoing Violence From The Hutch-Kinahan Feud
Violent chain of events following murder of Gary Hutch in Spain claimed others’ lives. Gerard Hutch, who was widely regarded as the head of the Hutch Crime Gang, was acquitted in relation to the 2016 murder of David Byrne but that acquittal failed to curb gang violence between the two groups.
Dublin’s criminal underworld, as well as French and Spanish territories, have suffered heavily in the rivalry, the two sides having taken quite expensive losses. Law enforcement agencies have exercised all means available to break up the Hutch and the Kinahan gangs, but the on-going feud is still a huge problem for authorities within and outside the borders of Ireland.
Conclusion
The recent Spanish and Irish raids are a major step for the law enforcement agencies as it progresses with its investigation into the Hutch Crime Gang.
Based on the transnational operation, the Hutch Crime Gang is such a large target that the only way to stop it is with international cooperation, said the Irish and Spanish authorities.
“The gang’s financial resources are ‘critical to its operation,’ and law enforcement agencies are concentrating on choking off those resources with money laundering,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.
A close collaboration between the GNBCI and the Guardia Civil makes evident the futility of the fight against cross border crime without the cooperation of the relevant international forces.
The fight against organised crime is far from over as the walls are closing in on the Hutch Crime Gang. But with continued cooperation between law enforcement agencies, pressure on one of Ireland’s most violent criminal organisations continues to mount, despite its flexible structure, and deep ties to Ireland and Spain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hutch Crime Gang known for?
The Hutch Crime Gang is infamous for its involvement in violent feuds, drug trafficking, and money laundering, with operations extending across Ireland, Spain, and Europe.
What recent actions have been taken against the Hutch Crime Gang?
Recent raids were conducted by the Guardia Civil in Spain and Gardaí in Ireland, targeting the gang’s money laundering operations, with searches in Lanzarote and Dublin.
Why are the Hutch Crime Gang and Kinahan Gang feuding?
The feud began in 2015 after Gary Hutch, a member of the Hutch gang, was murdered in Spain. This led to a retaliatory killing of Kinahan associate David Byrne in 2016, sparking ongoing violence
How are Irish and Spanish authorities working together?
Irish Gardaí and Spanish Guardia Civil are collaborating closely through coordinated investigations and raids, aiming to dismantle the Hutch Crime Gang’s transnational operations.
What are the key criminal activities of the Hutch Crime Gang?
The gang is primarily involved in drug trafficking, violent crimes, and money laundering, which is a significant focus of the current investigation.