This morning Tuesday 10th December 2019, a search and arrest operation was conducted by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) supported by officers from the Spanish Policia Nacional as part of Operation Mombasa.
2 persons, a 45 year old female and a 22 year old male, have been arrested and are currently detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 at Blanchardstown Garda Station. Suspected false documents, phones, financial documentation and cash were also seized.
A third man (47 years) was arrested during a search and arrest operation on Thursday 5th December 2019 and is also currently detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 at Ballymun Garda Station.
This morning’s operation was attended by the Garda liaison Officer to Spain and three Officers from the Spanish Policia Nacional who are in Ireland to advance the investigation in both jurisdictions. The Policia Nacional conducted searches in Barcelona yesterday Monday 9th December 2019 under Operation Mombasa and seized false documents, flight tickets/bookings and evidence from parcel delivery services. One person was arrested during this search.
Background
Operation Mombasa is a multi-jurisdictional investigation that commenced in late 2018 centred on an organised crime group (OCG) of non-nationals (primarily Georgian nationals) who are known to be resident in Ireland. These individuals are believed to be involved in the large-scale production and distribution of false identity and travel documents (Passports/national ID cards/Driving licences) to order and are sending these documents from Ireland to individuals outside the State via regular postal and courier services.
In addition to investigations which are being conducted in Ireland, there are also several related investigations being conducted into the activities of this Organised Crime Group in several other European Member States such as Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Great Britain, Finland, coordinated with the assistance of Europol and also in the United States.
Many of these individuals are themselves involved in the use of false identity documents within the State, in some cases using these false identities to live and work within the State for several years.
Operation Mombasa was established as a result of the Icelandic and Spanish authorities intercepting Georgian nationals within their jurisdiction committing criminal offences. Enquiries conducted ascertained that some of these Georgian nationals had sourced false documents from Ireland. Subsequent enquiries and the interception and seizure by An Garda Síochána of suspected parcels from An Post established packages had been addressed to Non-European Nationals in various EU member states.
As part of this investigation a number of searches were conducted and one male suspect was subsequently arrested on Wednesday 29th May 2018 and enquiries established that a suspected network of two families from Georgia residing in Dublin, were allegedly producing and providing false documents to other individuals across Europe.
This criminal organisation, in the production and distribution of false documents assisted Non-European Nationals circumvent immigration laws for the purpose of entering Ireland and the UK illegally. Investigations have established that a large number of non-Europeans have attempted to travel into this jurisdiction utilising their false documents.
An incident room was established in April 2019 and a Senior Investigating Officer from GNIB was appointed to coordinate this investigation. The investigating team assisted by a Senior Analyst established the identities of the members of the criminal organisation in this jurisdiction and their modus operandi. A large amount of data and evidence was secured from various money transfer services, financial institutions and parcel delivery services who were been utilised to advance this criminality.
In addition to the arrests this month, 13 search warrants were executed in Ireland on Wednesday 30th October 2019 in coordination with searches and arrests in other European Member States securing a large amount of exhibits.
Investigations are ongoing.
