Launder lock and key in Spanish jail
LOCKED-UP Johnny Morrissey is caged at a high-security Spanish jail where his cartel bosses were once imprisoned.
Alleged gangster Morrissey, an Irish passport holder, was admitted to Alhaurin de la Torre near Malaga following his court appearance last week.
He now faces spending up to two years on remand in prison ahead of a potential trial for allegedly helping the cartel launder more than €200 million in the past 18 months alone.
Alhaurin de la Torre is where Daniel Kinahan, his father Christy (64), and brother Christopher (41) were held following their arrests by Spanish cops in May 2010 after a probe into drugs and money laundering.
It has also housed the likes of killer Eric “Lucky” Wilson and wife-killer Dermot McArdle in the past.
The nick was once dubbed “The Celeb Prison” after a number of local well-known people were sent there over a corruption scandal.
Inside, its facilities put many Irish jails to shame, as it is equipped with its own swimming pool, squash courts and indoor football arena. Despite this, it suffers from the same violence-related issues as other penitentiaries.
At the beginning of August, a lag was disciplined for beating up a warden, with prison officer unions saying the incident shows “the frequency with which violent and regrettable episodes occur...and the need to immediately assess security methods there.”
Drone
The jail has also recorded the most incidents in Spain of attempts to introduce drugs and mobile phones in via drone.
The Spanish Professional Association of Prison Officers has also warned that “a weapon may be dropped in and this may see staff attacked