Two Brits arrested in Colombia medication and weapons investigation linked to ‘Irish Mafia’
Colombian police believe the men were acting as agents for the Irish Mafia in their dealings with the Clan Del Golfo, the world’s top producers and distributors of cocaine,
A man from Liverpool has been arrested in South America as part of a probe into the supply of class A drugs and firearms. The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed that 41-year-old Liam O’Brien, formerly of Leyfield Road in West Derby, was one of two Brits arrested in Colombia.
O’Brien and Robert Taylor, 54, from Exeter Road in Wallsend, were arrested at a property in Medellín, Colombia’s second largest city infamous for being a stronghold for narco-terrorist Pablo Escobar, on Wednesday. The pair remain locked up and extradition proceedings are set to start.
O’Brien is accused of conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin, MDMA and cannabis, conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon, money laundering and perverting the course of justice. Taylor was on Northumbria Police’s wanted list after he was sentenced in absentia in February last year to seven-and-a-half years behind bars for drug offences and money laundering.
The cases against both men stem from Operation Venetic – the NCA-led response to the takedown of encrypted communications platform EncroChat. Rick Jones, NCA deputy director of International, said: “We’re immensely grateful to Colombia’s National Police for their work to help trace and locate these men and take them into custody.
“These arrests continue to show the NCA’s global reach, its close partnerships with both UK and international police forces and our unwavering determination to ensure UK fugitives are returned to face justice,” reports the Liverpool Echo.
“Other fugitives should do the right thing and hand themselves in because we will do everything possible with partners at home and abroad to find them.”
Reports suggest that the pair were snared by a specialist anti-drug police unit. Colombian police believe the men were acting as agents for the Irish Mafia in their dealings with the Clan Del Golfo, the world’s top producers and distributors of cocaine, according to the Sunday World.
Colombian police Brigadier General William Oswaldo Rincón Zambrano posted on X on Wednesday: “In Medellín, Policia Colombia, in coordination with Interpol, managed to detain two British citizens for extradition purposes, allegedly members of a transnational drug trafficking network, wanted by the authorities of England for the crimes of drug trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering, and acting as front persons.
“According to the investigations, the detainees have links to the Irish Mafia, responsible for coordinating the trafficking of narcotics to the United Kingdom in alliance with the Clan del Golfo. We continue to strengthen international cooperation to combat criminal structures that threaten global security.”
The Clan del Golfo, known for their long-standing connections with European trafficking gangs, are believed to have direct links to the Kinahan Cartel – a major Irish organised crime syndicate considered one of the most powerful globally.
Detective Chief Inspector Marc Michael, of Northumbria Police, stated: “Taylor’s arrest is another example of how we work with partners not just in the UK but around the world to make sure that individuals face justice. There are no hiding places for those involved in criminality in the North East and beyond.”
He added: “Criminal networks often seek to profit from the most vulnerable members of our communities before reinvesting their money into further illegal enterprises.”
He urged anyone with reports on suspicious activity or concerns to report them, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem.
