Irish mafia on the Costa del Sol linked to 20 murders across Europe. Surinenglish.com: "arrest of 31 members of an Irish mafia organisation, 17 of whom were detained in Estepona, Marbella, Fuengirola and Mijas. In total, searches were carried out in 122 houses, lawyers' offices and other private establishments. 500 police officers participated in the raid that was carried out simultaneously in Spain, Ireland and the United Kingdom, coordinated by Europol.
This group, whose connections extend to at least 20 countries worldwide, is considered one of the largest criminal organisations on an international scale, although predominantly in the British Isles. According to Europol, the group is suspected of being involved in more than 20 murders committed in various different countries. It was the investigation of one of these murders that gave birth to 'Operation Shovel', as the raid has been named. In February 2008 Paddy Doyle, a 28-year-old Irish citizen, who was known to the police for his involvement in organised crime, died from numerous gunshot wounds in an ambush attack in a housing estate in Estepona.
The murder was immediately thought to be a revenge killing between gangs of drug dealers. The investigation led the police to certain members of this mafia group, and eventually linked them with several murders committed in Spain, more precisely on the Costa del Sol, as well as Holland and Ireland, the Ministry of the Interior revealed yesterday."
