Police seize military assault weapons in raid on Irish cartel linked to Darren Hoolahan abduction

Spanish police today released photos of the astonishing array of weapons seized from the gang suspected of kidnapping the brother of former Irish footballer and Premier League star Wes Hoolahan.

Darren Hoolahan, 40, has been missing from his Costa del Sol home since June and detectives who have described his disappearance as “disturbing” fear he could have been killed and buried near to where he was last seen.

Court officials confirmed over the weekend four Irish nationals and a British man had been arrested over the disappearance and four of them remanded in custody.

Police described the suspects as “members of a well-known Irish clan”, detectives revealed today they believed the abduction was linked to a “settling of scores” and the victim received a “warning” prior to going missing in which several vehicles he owned were set on fire outside his home.

A second vehicle used in his abduction was found burned out in a mountainous area in what police have described as a “clear attempt to destroy evidence.”

Cops say they have identified the house in Estepona where they believe Dublin man Darren was retained against his will, but have yet to find him dead or alive.

In a long statement published today in their first official comments on Operation Bernabe, the National Police in Malaga which covers the Costa del Sol area said: “The National Police have arrested five individuals in connection with the disappearance of an Irish national, linked to the Irish mafia, on the Costa del Sol.

“The suspects, members of a well-known Irish clan, were arrested in the towns of Estepona and Benahavis in the province of Malaga for their alleged involvement in crimes including unlawful detention, illegal possession of military-grade weapons, unlawful possession of firearms, vehicle theft, drug trafficking, and membership of a criminal organisation.

“One of the detainees was also the subject of a European Arrest Warrant issued by Irish authorities in connection with a violent robbery.

“Following six house searches in the province of Malaga, officers seized three handguns, one equipped with a silencer, which were two military-grade weapons, namely an AK-47 and a submachine gun; as well as 37.8 kilograms of hashish, 61,520 euros in cash, eight motor vehicles including one which been reported stolen; and computer equipment, mobile phones.”

A spokesman for the force went on to add: “The National Police have arrested five people for their alleged role in the concerning disappearance of an Irish national on the Costa del Sol, whose whereabouts has remained unknown since June.

“The abduction is believed to be linked to a settling of scores.

“The suspects, four of whom are compatriots of the victim, along with one British national, are members of a well-known Irish clan associated with organised crime.

“The competent judicial authority has ordered that the suspects be placed in provisional detention in Spain.

“A report filed at the Marbella police station by a woman regarding the disappearance of her partner, a 40-year-old man, triggered a police operation codenamed ‘Bernabé,’ carried out by officers from the UDYCO unit specialised in fighting drug trafficking and organised crime based in Marbella and Estepona.

“The man was last seen on June 10, when he went to meet an alleged friend at a cafe in the town of San Pedro Alcantara near Marbella.

“A missing person’s report was filed the following day, June 11, after the woman was unable to contact her partner in the hours after the meeting.

“The victim had received ‘a warning’ prior to his disappearance.

“From the outset, investigators considered the disappearance concerning, given the victim’s own background as he had ties to organized crime groups.

“A month before he vanished, the man had received ‘a warning’ when several vehicles he owned were set on fire outside his home in a residential development in Marbella.

“After analyzing the evidence gathered and reconstructing the victim’s final movements, investigators reached several conclusions regarding his last known steps.

“They confirmed that he did indeed attend the meeting at a bar in San Pedro and subsequently got into a car belonging to the person he had met there.

“The investigation further revealed that the man, who appears to have been kidnapped due to potential disputes with members of a cell belonging to a well-known Irish clan based on the Málaga coast, was taken to a rural area in Estepona.

“There, he was forced into a second vehicle which was later found burned out in a mountainous area, a clear attempt by the captors to destroy evidence, before being transported to a property on an estate in the Andalusian town.

“Following investigative work, officers from UDYCO, with the support of other units, including GOES, the Air Support Unit, the K-9 Unit, and various Judicial Police groups, carried out raids and searches of six residences on October 27: five in Estepona and one in Benahavis.

“Among the properties searched is the house where the victim, who remains missing despite intensive, and to-date unsuccessful, search efforts, was allegedly held.

The five men arrested are aged between 28 and 58, all linked to the Irish mafia.”

News of the October 27 detentions only emerged at the weekend.

Spanish court officials confirmed four people had been remanded in custody and one suspect had been released on bail.

The official said on Monday: “The case was assigned to Marbella Court Number Four, which was on duty starting from October 28.

“Five individuals were arrested. Four of them were remanded to custody, without bail and with no restrictions on communication, pending further investigation.

“They are being investigated for the alleged unlawful detention of an individual named Darren Hoolahan, as well as for offences involving the possession of military-grade weapons, membership in a criminal organization, and crimes against public health.

“The specific charges against each individual will be determined as the case progresses.

“Therefore, the current legal classification remains provisional and general.

The fifth individual, Karl D. H., was released in connection with this case, subject to the requirement that he appear at the courthouse on the 1st and 15th of every month.

“However, he was subsequently taken into custody, pursuant to an international arrest warrant issued by the Audiencia Nacional Court in Madrid.”

Well-placed sources said they did not know what the warrant in the separate case was for.

Darren’s brother Wes, an attacking midfielder, began his playing career with Shelbourne. During his more than 350 games for Norwich over a decade he earned the nickname ‘The Irish Messi’ or ‘Messi’.

His other clubs included Blackpool and West Bromwich Albion.

The 44-year-old was capped 43 times by the Republic of Ireland before announcing his retirement from international football in February 2018. He scored Ireland’s crucial Euro 2016 equaliser against Poland in the Aviva Stadium.

The missing Irish national was based on the Costa del Sol and was one of two men being investigated over a March 11 2024 gun attack on British-run eatery La Sala in the holiday resort of Puerto Banus.