Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Police find same type of gun used in Guerin murder at Gilligan’s villa
Possible links to 1996 attack probed Thug and his son among six arrested 4kg of marijuana & 15,000 pills seized
THIS is the moment Irish mob boss John Gilligan was held by police during a raid that led to the discovery of a gun – the same type used to murder Veronica Guerin.
Astonishing video footage of the thug’s detention shows him being handcuffed by armed Spanish officers after being ordered to kneel and lie down in his kitchen.
One of the cops could be heard demanding, “Police, police, get on the floor”, as he ran into the villa at an undisclosed Costa Blanca address.
Spanish police confirmed they found a gun of the same “brand and model” used to assassinate journalist Veronica in June 1996 and are probing any possible link to the attack.
Gilligan was acquitted of ordering the shooting but was sentenced to 28 years for drugs smuggling.
The weapon, a Colt Python, was discovered in the gravel side garden of the home where he was arrested and not at a commercial premises as was originally thought.
One source said: “The revolver was found hidden outside the villa.
“Sweeps of large villas with a metal detector of the sort that appears in the police video are not uncommon during police searches.”
Another said: “It’s impossible to give a timeframe as to when investigators will know for sure if it’s the gun that’s been used in the Guerin murder.”
It emerged on Thursday that Gilligan, along with his son and four other people, had been arrested in Alicante earlier this week.
A large of haul of drugs and tablets and quantity of cash was also seized.
Following the arrests, a spokesman for Spanish cops said: “National Police officers acting in co-operation with the Garda and UK’S National Crime Agency have taken out a gang of suspected drugs smugglers and intercepted four postal deliveries with 4kg of marijuana and 15,000 hypnotic pills.
“The detainees, allegedly led by a well-known Irish criminal, allegedly formed part of a violent gang of drugs and weapons traffickers and specialised in sending via post illegal merchandise from Spain to the UK and Ireland.
“A revolver, of the same mark and model used in the assassination of an Irish journalist in Dublin in 1996, has also been found.
“Its possible link to that crime is being investigated.”
In a statement, police described the suspected gang leader as a “wellknown Irish criminal who was sentenced in 2001 to 28 years in prison for smuggling large amounts of cannabis resin into Ireland.”
They added: “He did 17 years after appealing the sentence. Years later he was shot four times when he was in his brother’s house, although he managed to survive.
“Irish i nvestigators linked his organisation to the killing of a journalist in 1996 on the outskirts of Dublin.
“She was shot by two individuals who had been following her on a motorbike. The gun found in Alicante as part of the investigation is a Colt Python, the same type of gun used to kill the journalist.
“Inquiries are taking place and the Spanish police are talking to counterparts in Ireland to try to establish if it is the same weapon.”
Court officials confirmed Gilligan had been remanded in custody by a duty judge following a behind-closeddoors hearing on Thursday.
The other five detainees were released pending an ongoing probe after agreeing to hand over their passports and being told they were banned from leaving Spain. They were also ordered to sign on every fortnight.
The official said: “All six are being investigated as part of a criminal probe opened for crimes against public health, unlawful possession of firearms and membership of a criminal gang.”
Crimes against public health is the term often used to describe drugs trafficking in Spain.
Gilligan has not yet been formally charged with any crime as charges are only laid shortly before trial in Spain.
Criminal inquiries of the sort Gilligan faces can take months and even years in some cases to complete.
He can be held in custody on remand for up to four years without trial, although it is normal for most suspects to be released on bail after a maximum of two years. A National
It was found the gang allegedly specialised in sending drugs via post in parcels SPANISH NATIONAL POLICE SPOKESMAN YESTERDAY
Police spokesman said: “The operation that led to the six arrests in the province of Alicante began last year after it was discovered that a gang allegedly led by a well-known Iri sh criminal had established itself in the areas of Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa.
“Officers made contact with other police forces and thank s to thi s international police operation were able to identify other suspected members of the gang.
“It was discovered the gang had allegedly specialised in sending drugs via post by hiding it in parcels that were sent to Ireland and the UK from Spain.
Thanks to intelligence work conducted in Spain in co-operation with Irish authorities, it was discovered a consignment of weapons was going to be handed over in Ireland by members of the gang based there.
“This led to the seizure of three 9mm pistols which were loaded and ready for use. Thanks to the hard work of the investigators, four postal deliveries were intercepted in Spain, in which 4kg of marijuana and 15,000 tablets had been hidden.”
Although the tablets seized have not been named, they have been described as sedative hypnotic pills thought to be known as Zopiclone or “zimos”. Last year, Gilligan walked free from court after a judge threw out criminal property charges against him.
He was held at Belfast International Airport in 2018 with more than €22,280 in his baggage ahead of a f light to Alicante. Prosecutors at the time said he intended to purchase prescription drug Zopiclone in Spain for distribution on the Irish drug market.
Gilligan denied the claims. The case was ultimately dismissed by a judge who said suspicion was insufficient to warrant a conviction in criminal courts.
It is not yet clear how long it will take before firearms experts are able to say if the gun found is the weapon used to kill 36-year-old mum-of-one Guerin.
Gilligan’s acquittal of her murder sent shockwaves throughout Ireland.
Yesterday, gardai confirmed the arrest of an Irish citizen in Spain.