International police operation against crime gangs.

[osarusan]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0525/drugs.html

An international operation against a major drug trafficking gang has led to the arrests of 29 people in Spain, the UK and Ireland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/europe/10157294.stm

Police in Britain, Spain and the Republic of Ireland have arrested 32 people in raids against an alleged major international criminal group.

Among those detained is Christy Kinahan, dubbed the "Irish godfather", who is accused of leading the group.

Let's hope this leads to some hefty sentences.

[joeSoap]

In Kinahans case, they reckon he is the single biggest player in the European drug market. Bar none. He spent his time in prison to good effect many years ago, earning three open university degrees in languages, economics and something else. He is fluent in 4 languages and is a director of several profitable legitimate companies, especially in the haulage and distribution sectors handily enough. This guy is as sharp as they come and its reckoned that today he is worth over €120 million. He could be detained in custody for up to 2 years under Spanish criminal asset law now until they determine the extent of his ill-gotten gains. Poor fella...

[dahamsta]

Who "reckons" joeSoap? Evidence and facts please, otherwise you're breaking the rules.

[Aberdonian Stu]

The Irish Times has a story here http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...271144343.html

[dahamsta]

Thank you sir.

[joeSoap]

Who "reckons" joeSoap? Evidence and facts please, otherwise you're breaking the rules.

Apologies....

Paul Williams also mentioned this in an interview with Matt Cooper on the Last Word yesterday.

[dahamsta]

TBH I'm surprised the Times and others are being so gung-ho in their commentary, I guess because he's a crim and unlikely to bother suing them it's ok to paint him as guilty before he's even stepped into the courtroom on these charges. It's interesting to note that they're not so verbose about the likes of Sean Fitzpatrick and Fingers Fingleton, who will sue the bejesus out of them, and win in the short term. The media has gone to pot in this country, there isn't a single credible news source left.

(I'm not defending this guy, he's obviously a right boll*x. But there's a difference between your and my opinion, and a piece printed as news in "the paper of record".)

[joeSoap]

It must boil down to the fact that they know they are unlikely to be sued. I am surprised that the Times opted to go for this red-top type of journalism. I expect it from Williams who has made a very lucrative career out of people like Kinahan, John Gilligan etc. Williams went so far as to insinuate yesterday that it was Kinahan ordered the murder of Eamon Dunne recently. How the hell do you get away with that live on National radio? He glorifies them in a way, giving them monikers such as "The Penguin" "Fat Freddie" "The Don" etc. It's quite pathetic really and almost makes a life of serious crime seem appealing to young impressionable kids that grow up around these people. He also has 24/7 armed protection from the Gardai at mine and your expense. The media sure has gone to pot in this country, thats for sure.

[dahamsta]

Williams is a media whore, period. The only thing that keeps him going is being channelled in places like this. Hear that joaSoap?

[Macy]

Is the naming and coverage compared to others because he's not going to be charged here, but in Spain, so no danger of prejudicing a trial?

On Williams, I wouldn't buy the papers he writes for (or has written for) but have read a couple of the books. They're an ok enough read. I just think far too many people take his word as gospel, or fail to take account of his close relationship with the cops. Same as the RTE guy, you're not going to get anything but the pheonix park line.

[joeSoap]

I think that they publish like this because of a certain amount of security from being sued. The people they write about are all convicted criminals and they usually are careful in what they say. They can publish what they like about recorded convictions and generally make them as juicy as they can. Usually thereafter they link these people to crimes rather than accuse them of them outright. They use the term 'suspected of' a lot and I'm sure theres nothing they can do about that as they're not acussing, but linking them by association of previous crimes. In fairness, anybody they 'suspect' has nearly always turned out to be guilty anyway. I just don't agree with the whole glorification thing they have with these scumbags.

[OneRedArmy]

I believe Williams works from a bulletproof office thats larger than the editor's office in his new employer.

I'd say there's more danger of his colleagues shooting him by all accounts!

[Rasputin]

Williams operates a carnival of glorification for these dealers and is the Special Branch's media outlet.
Everyone knows the relationship he has with the Gardai and specifically the Special Branch.
Hes a national embarresment the way he pimps out the drug barons of this country with his ridiculous knicknames and the way he hides behind a thin veneer of disgust for these criminals while he salivates over the latest gangland shooting.
Williams isnt a journalist, hes just a sensationalist mouthpiece the sex's up criminality so the middle class can paw themselves over these scumbags.