Irish Crime Gang Behind Rhino Horn Racket

An Irish organized crime gang has emerged as the chief suspect in a string of museum robberies in Italy, Germany and the UK.

The stolen loot were rhino horns, which can be worth between €25,000 and €200,000 depending on their size and quality.

The Irish gang has been identified by Europol as a leading global player in the illegal trade of rhino horns.

The horns are used in traditional Chinese medicine, to make luxury goods and also as decorative items in themselves.

The Irish gang are mostly members of a large Traveller family, are based in Ireland, but have been active in the UK and Europe, and have moved some members to the USA and Australia.

It's believed to have developed a sophisticated network of agents and money laundering vehicles to sell the horns and conceal the profits they make.

Ireland's Criminal Assets Bureau is investigating the assets of the gang, whose members live in Limerick city and Rathkeale.

"The theft of rhino horn shows how organized criminals are always on the look-out for new and creative crime opportunities," said Europol.

"The attraction towards rhino horn clearly stems from the high value of this rare commodity," the organization said in a statement.

"Significant players within this area of crime have been identified as an Irish and ethnically Irish organized criminal group, who are known to use intimidation and violence to achieve their ends.

"To source and acquire rhino horns, the group has targeted antique dealers, auction houses, art galleries, museums, private collections and zoos, resorting to theft and aggravated burglary where necessary.

"To sell specimens, they have exploited international auction houses in the UK, France, USA and China."

The gang is also believed to be involved in drug trafficking, robbery, selling counterfeit goods, tarmac fraud and money laundering.

Europol and the Gardai have notified law enforcement agencies around the world, including drafting a series of recommendations, including dedicated investigations in each country affected, to determine the scale and nature of the threat associated with these criminals.

They've also warned the owners of rhino horns to increase security.

These include Natural History Museums, old antique shops and art houses.

Most of the Irish gang's horns are thought to have been sold to the Chinese medicines market, despite no proof of their effectiveness.

There is also an underground international collector's market.

There have been no known robberies of rhino horns in Ireland itself, but customs officers did intercept five horns being smuggled through Shannon Airport in January 2010.

Rhinos are an endangered species and the trade in its horns is highly illegal.

More than 200 rhinoceros were killed in South Africa last year.