Gardaí search Galway locations in gang swoop
TWO locations in Galway were searched this week by a specialist national Garda unit as part of the ongoing probe into the Black Axe crime organisation.
Gardaí were involved in the searches across seven counties last Tuesday, targeting members of the international Black Axe crime organisation who are thought to have scammed or laundered over €90 million across Ireland since 2020.
A senior Garda in Galway has this week again warned people to be 'ultra cautious' in relation to financial ruses which start out with unsolicited phone calls, texts or online contacts.
Det. Super Peter Conlon told the Galway City Tribune that this week's searches by members of the Garda Economic Crime Bureau [GECB] continued to target a major international crime organisation which had scammed millions of euros from people across Ireland.
"We continue to advise people to never, ever disclose banking or personal details after being contacted via phone calls, texts or emails - and never to click onto email links, if they have any doubt whatsoever about such links."
There are also major concerns about the growing use of money mules to launder money for major crime groups or organisations who use the legitimate bank accounts of individuals to move large sums of money around.
"The bottom line in all of this is, that if something sounds or looks too good to be true, then it normally is.
The major growth of online fraud operations and the use of money mules is a matter of huge concern for Gardaí," said Det. Super. Conlon.
As well as the two locations in Galway searched this week, GECB Garda members carried out searches in Sligo, Limerick, Kilkenny, Kildare, Meath and Dublin as part of Operation Skein, set up by Gardaí to investigate international criminal gangs specialising in fraud and money laundering.
The Black Axe criminal organisation is understood to have originated in Nigeria nearly a decade ago but now operates on a worldwide basis.
According to national media reports this week, Gardaí also seized clothing, caps, bags and ties containing the logo of the gang, as well as mobile phones and laptops 'loaded' with data on thousands of individuals.
Garda sources have also indicated that 'Black Axe' could have over 1,000 members across Ireland with over 600 arrests having been made in the Republic in relation to the activities of the crime organisation over the past six years.