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Seizure by gardaí part of investigation targeting activities of organised crime gang operating in seaside town of Bray
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Weapon seized by gardai Photo: Garda Info
Weapons seized by gardaí Photo: Garda info
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Ken Foy
Gardai recovered a deadly arsenal of weapons as part of an investigation into an organised crime gang operating in a seaside town.
The gang operating in Bray, Co Wicklow, but who gardai believe have operations across the Leinster region and in the capital are said to be reeling after the seizure by specialist local officers.
In total three handguns, a Sten machine gun attached with a silencer, 30 rounds of ammunition and €50,000 worth of drugs were seized.
The operation was carried out by Bray gardai following a surveillance operation.
Four people – two men and two women all aged in their 20s and 30s – understood were arrested and they are being questioned in Co Wicklow garda stations.
“This is a significant haul when you look at what has been seized here. The ammunition that was seized is believed to be compatible with the firearms that were found,” a source told the Irish Independent.
“This means that these weapons were ready to be used and the targeted gang have links to many other organisations particularly gangs in the city involved in feuds on Dublin’s northside.”
It can be revealed that when officers from Bray station raided a property in the Fairgreen Court area of the town at around midday they searched a jacket which contained a car key.
After discovering this they located a car which was “parked offside” near the property.
The key matched this vehicle and the officers discovered the firearms in the boot of the car.
The criminal who is suspected of controlling the guns has not been arrested but he has been a long term target for gardai for over two decades.
It is understood he works closely with a younger relative who is facing drug dealing charges.
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They are linked to a wider organised crime group who were previously connected to the Kinahan cartel and were involved in multiple feuds and shootings over a decade ago.
“Their capability to carry out serious violence has diminished since then but these are still serious players – they are weapons traffickers and they are drugs traffickers,” a source said.
“Notwithstanding that a lot of MDMA and acid tablets have been seized here to the value of €50k, the belief is that lives have been saved by this planned garda operation.”
Two of the arrested suspects are being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act which means that they can be held for up to three days in relation to the firearms offences.
The other two are being questioned under Section 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
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