Two British nationals associated with the Irish Mafia were detained during an armed operation in Colombia

Two men suspected of acting as liaisons between the ‘Irish Mafia’ and Colombia’s biggest cocaine cartel have been arrested following a dramatic armed raid in the South American country.

They were arrested by specialist anti-narco police during the raid on a property in Medellin – the former home city of Pablo Escobar.

Colombian police have said the men, who are both British citizens, are suspected of acting as agents on behalf of the ‘Irish Mafia’ in their dealings with the Clan Del Golfo.

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Colombia’s Clan Del Golfo cartel are the world’s single biggest producers and distributors of cocaine.

According to the Colombian officials, the group exports at least 20 tons of cocaine every month.

The crime syndicate - which has around 3,000 armed men at its disposal – now controls most of the territory once ruled by Escobar’s Medellín Cartel.

In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Colombian police Brigadier General William Oswaldo Rincón Zambrano said the arrests were made following a request from Interpol.

“In Medellín, Policia Colombia, in coordination with Interpol, managed to detain two British citizens for extradition purposes, allegedly members of a transnational drug trafficking network, wanted by the authorities of England for the crimes of drug trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering, and acting as front persons.

“According to the investigations, the detainees have links to the Irish mafia, responsible for coordinating the trafficking of narcotics to the United Kingdom in alliance with the Clan del Golfo.

“We continue to strengthen international cooperation to combat criminal structures that threaten global security.”

The Clan del Golfo have long-term links with European trafficking gangs and are said to have direct ties to the Kinahan Cartel.

They are widely reported to have been the suppliers of the €157 million cocaine haul which was seized from the MV Matthew off the coast of Cork.

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While headed up by Dairo Antonio Úsuga - better known by his nickname ‘Otoniel’, the Clan del Golfo formed a strong alliance with Balkan, Italian and Mexican cartels and in particular had ties to Edin Gacanin, one of the super cartel business partners of Daniel Kinahan.