An Garda Síochána, supported by Europol, has carried out a number of searches in County Galway as part of an international investigation into illegal horse trafficking.
The searches formed part of an enforcement operation targeting a criminal network suspected of trafficking horses across Europe using falsified documents and manipulated microchips to conceal the animals’ true identities.
The operation, took place on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
During the operation, the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI ) carried out searches in counties Galway, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Kildare, Dublin and Donegal.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provided assistance with the searches, along with officers from the Belgian Police and Europol.
The investigation, led by Belgian authorities, centres on the alleged large-scale trade of horses whose identification details and histories were fraudulently altered, enabling their movement and resale throughout Europe.
The criminal network is suspected of forging horse passports and manipulating microchips to grant the animals new identities, obscuring their true background and eligibility for human consumption.
During the coordinated action, 25 searches were conducted across Europe, including eight in Ireland.
The evidence seized is currently under analysis and investigations are ongoing.
An Garda Síochána worked closely with police forces and administrative authorities in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, with Europol providing vital support in information exchange, operational coordination and analytical expertise.
An Garda Síochána said in a statement that it remains committed to disrupting serious and organised crime and safeguarding public health and animal welfare across Ireland.
