“After his release from prison in October 2013, John Gilligan faced a series of threats and assassination attempts from rival criminals, making his reintegration into the Dublin underworld difficult. Despite previous dominance in the criminal world, it became evident that his return would not be smooth after serving 17 years for drug dealing.
Multiple assassination attempts were made on Gilligan’s life, with Dublin-based criminals viewing him as a threat and seeking his elimination.
In one instance, just two months after his release, armed men mistakenly targeted the wrong pub near Phoenix Park, missing Gilligan, who was at a different location.
However, in March of the following year, Gilligan was less fortunate. He survived a burst of gunfire but sustained multiple wounds when targeted at his brother’s home in Clondalkin, west Dublin. Upon recovery, he fled to Britain and later to southern Spain.
On the Costa Blanca, he restarted his criminal career despite being in his 60s at the time and is currently 71 years old. Gilligan’s age did not deter his involvement in criminal activities, particularly drug trafficking. He aimed to regain his position as a senior drug trafficker.
In October 2020, it was revealed that Gilligan and five others were arrested in the Alicante region as part of a planned operation by the Spanish National Police, supported by the Garda and the UK’s National Crime Agency. The operation uncovered 8kg of cannabis, 26,000 pills, and a firearm buried in the garden of a villa where Gilligan was staying in Torrevieja.
Gilligan’s gang had been involved in online drug sales, delivering small quantities to customers, primarily in Ireland and the UK, using the postal service, concealing drugs in toys and other items. The Garda also discovered loaded firearms in Co Roscommon in September 2020, believed to be linked to Gilligan.
Although his operation in Spain appeared rudimentary and risky compared to his previous role as a major drug wholesaler in Ireland, Garda sources suggested he was likely making substantial profits. These proceeds were intended to aid his resurgence as a senior figure in the drug trade. The fact that he was supplying firearms to the Irish market indicated his progress and extensive contacts.
In a recent development, a Spanish court issued a suspended sentence for Gilligan’s involvement in the Torrevieja-based gang, sparing him from prison.
Despite this legal encounter in Spain, Garda sources expressed skepticism that it would mark the end of John Gilligan’s criminal saga.”