John Gilligan’s fugitive son Darren was working as Amazon delivery driver in Dublin• Yesterday 16:45

Darren Gilligan, the son of notorious mobster John Gilligan, was working as a delivery driver for Amazon in Dublin despite being a high profile fugitive from authorities in Spain, it can be revealed.

Darren Gilligan (47) was remanded in custody today after he appeared before the High Court in respect of an extradition request issued by the Spanish authorities.

Earlier he had been arrested at the Greenogue Business Park in the Rathcoole area of west Dublin at around 11am by members of the garda extradition unit.

It is understood that Darren Gilligan has been working for Amazon, the online shopping company that offers a delivery service for around a year.

Amazon employs around 5,000 people in Ireland and last year opened a new warehouse and processing facility in Dublin.

Gilligan has been primarily living at addresses in Clondalkin, Blanchardstown and Roscommon since returning to Ireland from Spain last year.

Gardaí announced details of his arrest this evening.

“On the morning of Wednesday, 12th April 2023, members of the Garda Extradition Unit, Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) arrested a male (47 years) in West Dublin,” a spokeswoman said.

“The arrest was made on foot of a Schengen Information System (SIS II) Alert issued by Spanish authorities for offences related to drug trafficking and organised crime.

“The male was brought before the Four Courts this afternoon, Wednesday 12th April 2023, and was subsequently remanded in custody until the 25th April 2023,” she added.

The Hight Court heard today that Darren Gilligan’s surrender to Spain is sought in relation to an offence of breaching Public Order and Safety.

He was detained on foot of an SIS Alert issued by the Spanish Authorities, which informs the gardaí that a European Arrest Warrant seeking his surrender has been made in respect of Mr Gilligan.

The Schengen Information System (SIS) alert is an information exchange system used by various authorities in Europe.

The court heard that in Mr Gilligan’s case the EAW has not yet arrived from Spain.

Following his arrest by members of the Garda extradition unit on Wednesday morning, Mr Gilligan appeared before Mr Justice Anthony Barr during Wednesday’s vacation sitting of the High Court.

Giving details of his arrest, Detective Garda Adrian Murray told the court that he arrested and cautioned Mr Gilligan at an address in West Dublin on Wednesday morning.

The Detective told the court that when he asked Mr Gilligan if he knew what the allegations contained in the SIS were about, he replied “yes” and that it came “from being in the wrong place at the wrong time over nothing I done.”

In reply to counsel for the state Simon Matthews Bl the detective said that the gardai were opposed to Mr Gilligan being granted bail at this time.

Mr Gilligan, who was accompanied in court by members of his family, was represented during the hearing by Mark Lynam Bl.

Mr Lynam told the court that prior to his arrest his client had purchased tickets to fly to Spain in the coming days, where he is due to appear before a Spanish Court on another matter.

Counsel said that his client is willing to consent to his surrender to the Spanish authorities but cannot do so until the EAW has been provided to the Irish authorities.

Mr Lynam said Mr Gilligan was not seeking to be granted bail at this point of the proceedings.

His client also intends to apply to have his legal fees covered under the state’s Custody Issue Scheme

Mr Justice Barr, having been satisfied that the person before the court is the person whose surrender is being sought in the SIS, remanded Mr Gilligan in custody.

He will return before the court later this month.

– In October 2020, John and Darren Gilligan were arrested in the Alicante area by Spanish police among with a number of other people including a notorious Irish criminal.

John Gilligan (71) was charged with four crimes following his arrest in October 2020 at his former home in Torrevieja.

State prosecutors demanded an 18-month prison sentence for unlawful weapons possession.

Prosecutors also said in a pre-trial indictment they wanted John Gilligan jailed for another two years if convicted of smuggling cannabis into Ireland, four years for illegally exporting powerful sleeping pills and 10 months for membership of a criminal gang.

His conviction on all four charges could result in a prison sentence of eight years and four months.

Prosecutors say the drugs included cannabis and thousands of prescription-only sleeping pills dubbed zimmos which heroin addicts use to help them sleep and numb pain.

The specialist police operation involved phone taps and car follows by an organised crime unit.

While significant, John Gilligan’s 2020 drug dealing network was certainly a far cry from his operations in the mid 1990’s which brought him to the attention of crusading journalist Veroica Guerin when he was importing tonnes of cannabis via Cork Port.

The crime reporter paid the ultimate price for attempting to expose Gilligan’s gang when she was shot dead on June 26, 1996 by the mob.

Gilligan was cleared of masterminding Ms Guerin’s murder in March 2001 after a 43-day trial but handed a 28-year prison sentence for importing a huge haul of cannabis resin.

He was released from high security Portlaoise Prison in 2013 after 17 years.

At the centre of the Spanish case against Gilligan is the theory he had left Ireland for Spain and that he was trying to re-establish himself in the drugs trade there.