'Crime gang's enforcer' held in Costa del Sol

SPANISH COPS CLAIM TO HAVE SMASHED HUGE MONEY LAUNDERING OPERATION

- JOHN SCHEERHOUT & GERARD COUZENS

A FORMER Greater Manchester doorman and alleged member of a major crime gang has been arrested at his Costa del Sol home.

Johnny Morrissey is alleged by Spanish authorities to have helped crime bosses launder at least £302,000.

Pictures show Morrissey, 62 and his wife being led away from their gated Marbella home by Guardia Civil officers.

Addresses in Heywood and Glasgow are also being searched, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

Detectives in Spain say they have now smashed the most significant international crime organisation specialising in cleaning dirty cash operating in the country.

They estimated that Morrissey, sanctioned earlier this year by US authorities as an alleged enforcer for the Irish Kinahan cartel, could have laundered more than £173m in the last 18 months alone.

Detectives in Spain say the cash had not been physically moved out of Spain but spread throughout the world using an informal money transfer system called Hawala.

A spokesman for the Civil Guard confirmed they have arrested three people as part of their operation. Although not named, two of them are Morrissey and his wife Nicola.

A Civil Guard spokesman said: “The Civil Guard, through Operation Whitewall, has smashed the most important international criminal organisation that operated in Spain dedicated to money laundering. In a little over a year and a half they could have laundered more than €200m (£173m) through the system known as Hawala.”

Johnny Morrissey, a former doorman from Rochdale, was held on suspicion of money laundering.