Gang boss suspected of directing weapons shipments and drug violence from cell in Ireland’s high-security prison arrested

The dangerous crime group operate on an international level and are suspected of trafficking automatic weapons and drugs including heroin and cocaine into IrelandMan suspected of using illegal phone cell to direct operations

Portlaoise Prison. Photo: PA

The leader of a criminal gang has been arrested in Ireland’s maximum-security prison on suspicion of directing firearms shipments and drug-related violence across the country from inside his jail cell.

Detectives attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) have carried out a major operation against the Eastern European gang who have become a “priority target” for gardaí.