Murdered gang kingpin Ross Monagahan’s cousin nailed over £20M global drug trafficking ring

A COUSIN of murdered Lyons gang kingpin Ross Monaghan has been nailed for his role in a multi-million pound global drugs cash operation. Michael Monaghan, 37, was busted by cops probing a major narcotics trafficking mob with “international links” and is now locked up with four associates. Michael Monaghan was nailed for his involvement in the drug operation. Credit: Scottish Sun Credit: SUPPLIED Ross Monaghan was gunned down last year in Spain. Credit: Scottish Sun Credit: Scottish Sun A judge heard he was in cahoots with fellow Scot Anthony Carroll, 57, who was in charge of the cartel’s vast illicit income — which hit almost £20million in a little more than five months. Details of the case emerged 15 months after Ross Monaghan, 43, was gunned down at his bar in Fuengirola, Spain, with fellow hood Eddie Lyons Jnr, 46. Michael Monaghan, of Drumchapel, Glasgow, ran one of the gang’s “cash counting houses” and reported to Carroll, the High Court in the city was told. Others involved were Carroll’s son Anthony Jnr, 37, Ryan Carberry, 46, and Marc Cooper, 34. Monaghan’s arrest, and those of the others, came while his cousin was in Spain with mob boss Steven Lyons, 45 — who is locked up in the Costa del Sol where he faces trial over an alleged dirty cash and organised crime plot. Prosecutor Leanne Cross told the court Carroll Snr was in charge of counting, storing and distributing payments the mob received for cocaine, heroin and hash. She said: “He also directed the other four to carry out this work on his behalf. “He, in turn, answered to those at the top of the organised crime group who were, by and large, based overseas.” Police raided Carroll Jnr’s home in Glasgow’s Maryhill and found £780,000 hidden under floorboards in May 2020. They uncovered phones, £5,000 and €1,000 from under a cooker hood at Carroll Snr’s house in the city’s Milton. Carberry, of Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow, was described as a “cash collector” involved 75 pick-ups totalling £6million. A raid on his partner’s home led to £195,000 being found in two rucksacks. The hoods were snared as part of Operation Venetic, the long-running probe into the encrypted phone network EncroChat smashed by Dutch crimefighters in 2020. One EncroChat message from Cooper, of Maryhill, stated he had counted £1.8million between May and June 2020. Ms Cross stated Carroll Snr documented £4million as income for January 2020, £3million the following month, £2.6million in March, around £4million in April and £4.8million in May. She told the court: “This operation was well organised with everyone having clear roles and responsibilities. “Cash collectors passed to the counters before everything was funnelled to Carroll Snr. He passed on to safehouse holders for onward transportation.” The five were paid £500-£1200 per week “wages”. They all admitted being involved in organised crime. Judge Lord Scott deferred sentence and remanded them in custody. Two others linked to the gang were jailed in April. Alistair MacKenzie, 60, of Glasgow’s Knightswood, and Daniel Kerrigan, 56, of Maryhill, were handed just over nine years between them.