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Date Published: 11/06/2024

Irish drug boss released in Costa del Sol after paying 60k bail

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Suspected Kinahan cartel leader Johnny Morrissey has been in a Málaga jail since 2022

Irish drug boss released in Costa del Sol after paying 60k bail

Johnny Morrissey, a suspected leader of the notorious Kinahan cartel, has been released from a Málaga jail after posting bail of 60,000 euros. Morrissey, who was arrested in September 2022, was under investigation for allegations of money laundering for the Irish drug gang.

This latest release adds to the growing list of cartel-linked individuals arrested in Spain over the past decade, only to be released without charge. While no formal charges have been brought against Morrissey, he remains under investigation.

In 2022, Morrissey was among seven criminals sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury, including cartel founder Christy Kinahan and his sons Daniel and Christopher Jr.

Morrissey was described as being close to cartel leader Daniel Kinahan and was invited to his wedding in Dubai in 2017.

The arrest of Morrissey and two others two years ago was a result of a joint operation involving detectives from six different police forces, including the Spanish Guardia Civil, An Garda Síochána and the US Drug Enforcement Agency. Spanish police stated at the time that the money-laundering network Morrissey was allegedly part of was capable of handling 350,000 euros per day, or 200 million euros in the 18 months before his arrest.

Morrissey, 63, was released from custody after lodging a 60,000-euro bail bond, surrendering his passport and agreeing to an international travel ban.

After fleeing Ireland under heat from the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), Morrissey, who was known in his hometown of Kinsale as ‘Johnny Cash’ thanks to his avoidance of paying taxes, resurfaced in Málaga, where he’s been living for several years.

When the US authorities named Morrissey as part of the Kinahan cartel sanctions announcement at an event in Dublin in April 2022, they described him as having “worked for the [cartel] for several years, including as an enforcer.”

They also stated that he “facilitates international drug shipments for the organisation from South America” and was “involved in money laundering”.

The Treasury believes that Morrissey is either the owner or controller of luxury beverage brand Nero Drinks Company Ltd., a business which is now on the US’s sanctions list.

He continues to be investigated by a court in Marbella on suspicion of money laundering and membership in a criminal gang.

In other news: British tourist holds up bus and taxi in Spain with a hole punch

Image: Guardia Civil/Archive

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