A sophisticated drug trafficking operation between Ireland and Australia has been uncovered after a two-year transnational investigation into an established Irish drug cartel, which has led to the arrest of at least four Irish nationals in Australia and New Zealand.

The alleged drug ring is said to be linked to one of Ireland's most prominent crime gangs, the Kinahan cartel, a drug and money-laundering racket worth hundreds of millions of dollars, with networks stretching around the world.

The Kinahan cartel has previously been described as having made Ireland the main gateway for drugs into Britain, with the head of the gang Christy Kinahan considered "one of the biggest drug dealers in Europe" at a time.

Led by Ireland's national police, An Garda Siochana, the investigation has involved immense support from the Australian Federal Police and New Zealand authorities since 2016.