Spanish arrest for Irish gang member
WANTED Irishman Gerard Mackin has been released on bail after telling court officials in Spain he plans to fight extradition.
Mackin (39), alleged to have links to the Kinahan cartel, was held on an Ireland-issued European Arrest Warrant on Monday during a routine police stop in the resort of Torrevieja.
Mackin, wanted for alleged money laundering offences, appeared before a judge on Tuesday at a centralised court in Madrid which deals with all extraditions.
An official there confirmed this yesterday morning: He was presented in front of a duty judge and said he was opposing extradition.
“He was released on the condition he signs on at court every fortnight and he has been banned from leaving Spain.”
A well-placed source said after the short hearing, which for many fugitives arrested while on the run results in a remand in prison while the extradition request is processed even if they agree to be returned, added:
“The decision on whether to bail them pending the final extradition decision always depends on many factors.
Risk
“They include the seriousness of the alleged crime, the flight risk and the links they have to Spain.”
Mackin, described as a close pal of Kinahan cartel killer Jonathan Keogh,was made the subject of an international arrest warrant last month after the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled there was enough evidence to charge him over a suspected money laundering scam.
It is understood the charge relates to an alleged money laundering network being run in Co Limerick in 2019.
The Civil Guard in Alicante confirmed he had been arrested at lunchtime on Monday by officers in a road just off the AP7 motorway.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard added: “He didn’t offer any resistance.”