Donmega I have some questions regarding Irish OC.
How are Irish groups structured, for example more horizontal hierarchies, family based organizations etc. ?
Was or is the IRA a big time player in the Irish drug trade?
And do the Irish operate on a International level like other crime groups like Ndrangetha?
Does the religion or political stance play a role in Irish OC and their Modus Operandi?

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/northern-ireland/dissidents-target-uvf-godfather

Dissidents target UVF godfather.

Dissident republicans are targeting a senior UVF figure in south Belfast.

Terror group Oglaigh na hEireann is actively gathering intelligence on a veteran loyalist paramilitary and suspected OnH members have been spotted on the Donegall Road in the Village area of the city as well as Sandy Row.

Well placed sources have told the Sunday World elements connected to the dissident group have been watching the movements of the UVF veteran. He is understood to be one of a number of brothers who are all members of the terror group.
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The fact that OnH has ventured into the heart of loyalist south Belfast will set alarm bells ringing. The move is being seen as a direct result of the revelation in October that the UVF had been gathering intelligence on a number of prominent republicans.

Among them is OnH Belfast chief Carl Reilly. The Sunday World revealed a UVF squad had been keeping tabs on his movements with a view to mounting a hit.

With the dissident group on its knees having lost the bulk of its membership across the city, Reilly is regarded as a lame duck leader and a soft target.

He has lost the respect of the membership and has become increasingly isolated and rarely seen in public.

The move was slammed as reckless by leading UVF members who feared a backlash.

Now the stakes have been raised and there are real concerns that should the dissidents attempt an attack it will provoke a round of tit-for-tat incidents.

Loyalist sources in the south of the city have told us the man targeted will not hesitate to take action.



South Belfast UVF has been left badly splintered by a series of bust ups within the ranks. Local commander Eddie ‘Onions’ Rainey has divided opinion and is understood to be at loggerheads with the man targeted by OnH.

The target is a vitriolic and outspoken critic of cocaine user Rainey, who in turn has tried to discredit his rival with a smear campaigning making a series of false allegations.

He tried to pin a series of race hate incidents on him when in fact it was Rainey who personally ordered a number of attacks which saw foreign nationals intimidated from their homes and racist graffiti daubed on walls.

Rainey’s decision to go into partnership with an eastern European organised crime gang also angered veteran members many of whom secretly support the OnH target.

He challenged Rainey over his partnership with the Russians and is believed to have been behind a number of attacks on members of the organised crime gang. Rainey defied his membership and struck a deal with the Russians and in return for supplying him with cocaine they are allowed to peddle their drugs free from interference.

The Russians even offered to bring a hitman in from Limerick to ‘take out’ Rainey’s rival.

Should dissidents continue to target him or even launch an attack it will ignite a powder keg.

As previously revealed by the Sunday World a splinter group within the UVF in the south of the city have been actively rearming for the last two years. They have slowly built up a cache of clean guns made up mostly of handguns which are more readily used for assassination bids.

Sources have also told us they have brought in Mac10 sub machine guns, US made 9mm US Navy issue pistols and a large quantity of explosives.

The splinter group is believed to have been responsible for a series of pipe bomb attacks including the targeting of Catholic schools in north Belfast.

And were behind an audacious plan to assassinate Old Bailey bomber Marian Price as she underwent medical treatment at Belfast City Hospital. They planned to riddle the car carrying the former IRA woman from her cell at Hydebank to the hospital and it was only the last minute intervention orfRainey that prevented the attack going ahead.

Price was releasedfrom prison 18 months ago after a high profile campaign to win her freedom.

Rainey is seen as an ineffectual leader incapable of holding back the hawks should they decide to launch an attack.

richard.sullivan@nth.sundayworld.com

There is not like OC in USA in Ireland at all.

religion or political stance play a role in Irish OC and their Modus Operandi? NO.

Irish criminals are some of the euro zones most dangerous gangs and have come to the top league over the last 10 years or so.

Two days ago, the rumour of West End Gang leader Richard Matticks's death was believed to be true, and the Montreal Gazette reported his death as fact. The newspaper had to print a correction notice.

There is now confirmation that Matticks passed away yesterday.

Link: http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/west-end-gang-leader-richard-matticks

A detailed article about Matticks, written on the occasion of his death, can be found here:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nati...article22489952

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/crime-desk/courts/eight-suspected-ira-members-appear-in-court


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Eight men accused of IRA membership were arrested after a garda swoop on a used car lot in west Dublin, the Special Criminal Court heard today

The court was told that gardai who searched the area found cable ties. balaclavas, a Glock pistol, a baseball bat and pepper spray among other items.



Stock image of a Glock

The eight are: Kevin Braney (40), of Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght , Des Christie (50), of Liam Mellows Road, Finglas, Eamon McNamee (34), of Larkfield Square, Lucan, Hubert Duffy (47), of George’s Place in Dublin 1, William Jackson (55), of Dooncourt, Poppintree, Declan Phelan (33), of Lanndale Lawns, Tallaght, John Brock (42), of Glenview Park, Tallaght, and Darren Murphy (44), of Rory O’Connor House in Dublin 1.

All eight have pleaded not guilty to membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on March 29th, 2013.

Opening the prosecution case Ms Tara Burns SC said that members of the Garda National Surveillance Unit observed the eight at various locations in Finglas and Clondalkin on the morning of March 29th, 2013. She said that around midday members of the Emergency Response Unit entered the yard of a used car sales lot in Clondalkin and arrested the eight men.

In follow up searches of two vans, an office and kitchen, gardai found cables ties, gloves, balaclavas, a baseball bat, a lump hammer, a pepper spray and a Glock pistol.

Ms Burns said that after their arrest the eight men were interviewed at various garda stations. She said some of them made no reply when questioned, some of them denied membership of the IRA and some of them gave answers to garda questions which were untrue.

She said the court would be invited to draw inferences from the responses of the eight men to garda questions.

Ms Burns said that the prosecution case against the men would rely on the sightings of the accused by the National Surveillance Unit, items found after their arrest, their responses to garda questioning and the opinion evidence of Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Kirwan.

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/c...scaped-prisoner



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VIOLENT criminal Lee McDonnell went on a vicious crime spree in the North after his escape from a prison van in December.

The vicious thug, from Ballyfermot, Dublin, is believed to have been involved in a spate of crimes in Armagh as well as in Louth and the capital while he was on the run.

Sources say McDonnell (23) and a convicted drug dealer pal from Ballyfermot had been staying at an address at Callan Bridge Park in Armagh following the thug’s escape.

The house was owned by a man who has republican connections and owed a favour to associates of McDonnell due to a debt.

However, a source said McDonnell outstayed his welcome after he “went on a rampage” in Armagh and Louth.

“He caused terror. He targeted business people in their homes and took cash and other valuables after putting knives to their throats and guns to their heads. I know some of the families robbed and they were left severely traumatised.”

The source said it is believed the Armagh man who supplied McDonnell with the house had given him information on which business owners to target.

As well as the home invasions, McDonnell is suspected of targeting business premises.

In one such incident, a Dundalk shop owner was viciously attacked by two men, believed to be McDonnell and an associate. The pair stole a silver VW Golf in Armagh before driving to Hackballscross on January 6. They jumped from the stolen vehicle and attacked the shop owner before making off with a sum of money.



The PSNI believe the same vehicle was also linked to an attack in Culloville, near Crossmaglen.

In another incident in the Republic, McDonnell and an associate tried to hold up a security van collecting cash from an insurance firm in south Dublin. During the incident the security man was injured when McDonnell’s associate deliberately ran into him with a car.

The raid was foiled when a motorcyclist saw what was happening and tackled McDonnell, pulling a balaclava off his head. Gardai carried out searches looking for McDonnell after that incident, but he is believed to have fled to the North at the time.

However, McDonnell was eventually asked to leave the house in Callan Bridge Park.

He is believed to have turned on the Armagh man and assaulted him when he was asked to leave.

“He gave him a serious hiding and left him in a very bad way,” said a source. “It wasn’t just a dig or two. It was a right going over.”

McDonnell’s associate was arrested by the PSNI and is facing a number of serious charges related to the crime spree. It is understood McDonnell is under threat from republican figures as a result of his crime spree.

He has also been involved in a long-running feud with traveller criminals.

McDonnell is believed to have left Armagh in recent weeks before being arrested at the weekend. The thug was seen by gardai on Saturday evening walking at Rowlagh Avenue in Ronanstown in Dublin around 5pm.

He sprinted away when he saw the gardai approaching and ran across a number of gardens. McDonnell was eventually cornered when he climbed onto the roof of a garage before giving himself up.

He was brought to Ronanstown Garda Gtation and transferred to the Midlands Prison.

A spokesman for the Prison Service confirmed he was back in custody but declined to speak about disciplinary procedures that he faces.

Meanwhile, three prisoner officers who were on escort duty transporting McDonnell could face disciplinary proceedings. The investigation is focusing on how McDonnell was not handcuffed when he made his escape.

He fled after the van stopped to pick up chips in Dublin.

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/c...itting-tourists



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Packets of Class A substances are being put under tourists' cars using magnets

Drug smugglers are turning "trusted travellers" into unwitting mules by placing containers with powerful magnets under their cars in Mexico and then recovering the illegal cargo far from the view of border authorities in the United States.

One motorist spotted the containers while filling up with petrol after crossing into southern California this month, and thought it might be a bomb.

His call to police prompted an emergency response, and then a shocker - 13 pounds of heroin were packed inside.

There have been four such incidents in San Diego since January 12, all involving drivers enrolled in the "trusted traveller" programme, which enables hundreds of thousands of people who pass extensive background checks to whizz past inspectors with less scrutiny.

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/c...d-robbery-today



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Robbery: The raid took place at the Aldi Supermarket in Bagenalstown

Gardai are appealing to the public after a failed cash-in-transit robbery possibly left the suspects covered in red dye.

Gardaí in County Carlow are appealing for information following the robbery, which occurred this afternoon at the Aldi Supermarket in Bagenalstown.

At approximately 3pm, two males drove up to the entrance of the Aldi Supermarket in a black BMW coupe car while a security van was making a collection.

One masked male, armed with what was described as a firearm, threatened a security guard and took a cash box containing a substantial amount of cash. The raiders, who were both wearing balaclavas and gloves, then escaped in the BMW.

In a follow up search the cash box and its contents were discovered on Dunleckney Road in Bagenalstown. The cash box had exploded on opening and destroyed the cash with red dye.

Fortunately, no shots were fired and no persons were injured during this incident. All money was recovered but no arrests have yet been made, Gardai said.

Investigating officers are appealing to the public for information on the raid.

In particular, anybody who may have seen a black BMW Coupe with two males on board in the vicinity of the Aldi Supermarket shortly before 3pm and any suspicious activity on the Dunleckney Road after 3pm.

"The raiders may have been exposed to red dye and this is an important appeal point," Gardai said.

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/c...ammed-garda-car




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Court: The Garda car was rammed by the balaclava-clad gang

A man jailed for possession of a loaded firearm “available for immediate use” having rammed a garda patrol car has had his sentence increased by the Court of Appeal.

Daniel Prenderville (27), with an address at Rutland Avenue, Crumlin, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, unlawful use of a mechanically propelled vehicle and dangerous driving at Ballycullen, Dublin on September 6 2012.

He was sentenced to six years imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended by Judge Mary Ellen Ring at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on June 21 2013.

The Court of Appeal increased Prenderville's sentence to seven years imprisonment today following an undue leniency application by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Giving background to the case, Mr Justice George Birmingham said a garda patrol car spotted a stolen Audi A3 in the area of Daletree Place, Ballycullen on the date in question, in which three occupants were wearing balaclavas.

When the gardaí activated their flashing lights, the Audi was driven head on into the patrol car. “In effect the patrol car was rammed,” Mr Justice Birmingham said.

After the collision, the judge said, Prenderville got out of the driver's seat of the vehicle and was apprehended trying to escape over a wall.

Another occupant of the car was seen throwing a 7.65 calibre Baikal semi-automatic pistol over a wall. It was loaded with three bullets in the magazine and one in the chamber, the court heard. Furthermore the serial number had been removed.

It later emerged that the Audi had been stolen earlier that day, Mr Justice Birmingham said.

The trial judge had remarked that it was clear on the night in question, Prenderville and others were found in “highly suspicious circumstances” in possession of a loaded firearm “available for immediate use” and they were dressed in clothing that would “make their identification impossible” by the use of balaclavas and gloves, Mr Justice Birmingham said.

“It was even more disturbing to hear” that the loaded firearm was accompanied by a silencer, the sentencing judge had said.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cathleen Noctor BL, had submitted that Judge Mary Ellen Ring had erred in suspending a portion of Prenderville's sentence that was not permitted by statute.

Ms Noctor submitted that the judge had not found the exceptional and specific circumstances which would justify the imposition of a sentence less than the statutory minimum of five years.

She further submitted that the offence should have been placed at the high end of the scale and for that a sentence of six years with 18 months suspended was seriously inadequate and represented a significant departure from the norm.

The Court of Appeal took the view, Mr Justice Birmingham said, that “only if exceptional and specific circumstances are identified is it possible to suspend all or part of the sentence,” so as to bring it below five years.

Mr Justice Birmingham said the trial judge, having found no exceptional and specific circumstances, erred in bringing Prenderville's jail term below five years.

He said the offence had to be seen at the top, though not the very top of the range for offences of this nature.

Consequently, Mr Justice Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Peter Kelly and Mr Justice John Edwards imposed a new sentence of seven years imprisonment in lieu of the original term.

Before leaving court, Prenderville was heard telling family members from a distance “it doesn't make any difference”.

Gardai this week seized a large amount of cocaine and heroin with an estimated value of €4.9 million pending analysis.

As part of an ongoing investigation Gardaí attached to the Clondalkin Detective and Drugs Units carried out a planned search of a premises at Bluebell Industrial Estate, Dublin, on Tuesday

During the search, 32.5 kilos of heroin and a half kilo of cocaine - pending analysis - were discovered and seized. A handgun and a quantity of ammunition were also seized during the search.

"To date, this investigation has led to the seizure of heroin and cocaine with an estimated value of €5.2 million, five firearms, ammunition and cash," a Gardai spokesperson said.

A 39-year-old man, arrested on Monday in connection with this investigation, remains in Garda custody. He is being detained at Clondalkin Garda Station under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996. The investigation is ongoing.

"This is a significant seizure of heroin, which causes terrible damage in communities throughout this country. This operation has taken drugs, firearms and ammunition off our streets, which could have caused terrible damage," Gardai said.

"This lengthy operation has caused major disruption to an Irish organised crime gang with international connections and is part of our on-going strategy of targeting criminal gangs.

"We remain determined to do all we can to protect communities from the scourge of drugs and we thank communities for their support in this,” said a Garda spokesperson.

A number of machine guns and a handgun were also discovered by Gardai in Ballyfermot following an arrest on Monday.

Gardai are investigating the provenance of two pipe bombs found in Limerick and Cork.

The first was found in Killala Gardens in Knocknaheeny in Cork city early this morning.

The army bomb disposal team arrived on scene at approximately 9.45am after receiving a call regarding a possible explosive.

A cordon was erected at the scene and traffic restrictions were put in place for public safety. A number of nearby houses were evacuated.

The suspect item was made safe by the by an army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit and removed to a military location for further testing. The scene was declared safe just before 11am.

Elsewhere, a viable pipe bomb was defused in Limerick city last night.

In the second such incident within a 12-hour period, Gardai called in bomb disposal at around 12.45am to Upper Gerald Griffith Street.

A cordon and traffic restrictions were put in place for public safety, while a number of nearby apartments were evacuated.

The Defence Forces said: "The suspect item was rendered safe and removed to a military location for further testing and the scene was declared safe at 1.30am."

Evidence has been handed over by the army and Gardai are now investigating.

Gardai investigating the murder of a Dublin man in the capital two weeks ago have arrested a man.

The body of 41-year-old Kevin Molloy was discovered at Glendhu Road in Cabra on Sunday, February 1.

Gardai investigating the circumstances surrounding the Dubliner's death have arrested a man in his early 20s this morning.

He is currently detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at Finglas Garda Station.

A subsequent post-mortem carried out on the body of the victim by the State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy, discovered signs of foul play and the investigation was subsequently upgraded to murder.



It is understood Mr Molloy had suffered head injuries and lost a large amount of blood during the 'frenzied attack'.

It is believed he may have been dead for a number of days before being found.

The gruesome discovery was made by the dead man's relatives who had become concerned after they had no contact with him in several days.

Gardai have spent the last week piecing together the man's final movements in a bid to establish a suspect.

Dissident republican terrorists planned to use a rocket launcher to kill Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, it has been revealed.

Martin McGuinness said he was warned of the CIRA (Continuity) IRA plot by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

In a statement, Mr McGuinness said: "I have been made aware the PSNI has discovered a plan to launch a rocket attack against me.

"The PSNI has said that a group calling itself 'CIRA' considered an attack against me using a rocket launcher."

A decision by Mr McGuinness to meet the Queen in 2012 caused outrage among hardline dissident republicans opposed to the peace process in Northern Ireland.

He has since met the Queen on three occasions including as a guest at a Windsor Castle banquet last year.

The Sinn Fein MLA added: "I will not be silenced or deterred. These people are only interested in plunging us back into the past.

"If those behind this threat think they have the ability to destroy the peace agreements which have been endorsed by the overwhelming majority of the people of Ireland then they are clearly detached from reality.

"They need to wise up, listen to the people of Ireland and abandon these futile actions.

"This threat will not stop me or anyone in Sinn Fein from our work in representing everyone in our society and continuing to pursue our political objectives."

The CIRA split from the Provisional IRA when it declared a ceasefire in 1994.

While the IRA moved towards decommissioning of arms, the CIRA's aim remained to kill members of the security forces in pursuit of its goal of a united Ireland.

The terror group's most notorious action was the murder of police officer Stephen Carroll in March 2009. The 48-year-old was shot dead as he attended a call for help at a housing estate in Craigavon, Co Armagh.

The officer, originally from County Kildare, was hit by a sniper and became the first police fatality since 1998, the year of the Good Friday Agreement which largely ended three decades of conflict.

Earlier this year 12 suspected CIRA members were arrested during a police raid at a house which had been bugged by MI5 for months.

A number of suspects have appeared in court charged with a range of terror offences linked to the operation at Ardcarn Park, Newry in Co Down.

A street drug dealer who sold ecstasy to an undercover garda three times after first approaching the officer at a Dublin nightclub has been given a two and a half year suspended sentence.

Adam Nevin (27) of Lealand Close, Clondalkin, Dublin who has since moved to Norway for work, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three charges of having MDMA for sale or supply at Sin Nightclub, Clondalkin Community Centre and Clondalkin Shopping Centre on various dates in September 2012.

His 23 previous convictions include two for dealing drugs that were dealt with in the District Court.

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“This demonstrates to me that he is either criminally inclined or not very bright,” Judge Martin Nolan said.

Judge Nolan said he was impressed with Nevin’s attitude to work but added that he previously got a chance from the District Court. Judge Nolan had revoked Nevin’s bail and remanded him in custody for two weeks prior to sentencing him.

Garda Sean O’Neill told Dara Hayes BL, prosecuting, that gardaí set up an operation to deal with street dealing of MDMA in the Dublin 2 area and one officer was instructed to go to Sin Nightclub to see if anyone would approach him to buy drugs.

Nevin later asked the officer if he wanted “a light” and the man enquired if he knew anyone who had “any yokes”. Nevin offered to sell him four tablets and the garda paid €20.

Gda O’Neill said Nevin also gave the garda a mobile phone number to contact if he wanted any more tablets.

This number was again contacted on September 13 and following an exchange of texts, the same garda met with Nevin in Clondalkin Shopping Centre where he paid €60 for ten ecstasy tablets.

Almost two weeks later the garda again contacted the same number and said he was “looking for more yokes”. He was told it would be “no bother” to get 100 tablets for him and an arrangement was made to meet in the carpark of Clondalkin Community Centre.

Gda O’Neill said he and other officers positioned themselves in an unmarked garda car while the garda who had been in contact with Nevin was waiting in an official unmarked patrol car.

Nevin later arrived on a mountain bike and produced a bag of tablets which he said he wanted €300 for. The other gardaí moved in and Nevin threw the bag away before he was arrested.

The bag was later recovered and all the tablets were analysed and found to be MDMA.

Gda O’Neill agreed with Kenneth Kerins BL, defending, that Nevin told gardaí in interview that he was working to pay off a drug debt.

Mr Kerins told Judge Nolan that his client had no work at the time and had no way to finance his own drug habit.

He said he has since secured work in Norway and has enjoyed that and “getting out of the situation he found himself in Dublin”.

Man who pointed fake hand gun at garda won't face higher sentence

A man who pointed a "realistic looking" imitation handgun at two gardaí following an attempted robbery will not face a higher sentence despite an appeal by prosecutors.

Mark O'Reilly (37) with an address at Dunmore Avenue, Killenarden, Tallaght had pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence at a Fortunestown service station, Tallaght, Dubln 24 on March 11 2012.

He was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended by Judge Desmond Hogan on April 7 2014.

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The Director of Public Prosecutions failed to appeal O'Reilly's sentence in the Court of Appeal yesterday on the ground that it was too lenient.

Giving background to the case, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan, said O'Reilly had pointed a “realistic imitation firearm which looked like a handgun to the head of another person and demanded money”.

The attendant, Mr Rizman Ali, was quick thinking and realised that a so called customer was in truth a participant in this attempted robbery, he said.

The so called customer had feigned to purchase cigarettes from Mr Ali. O'Reilly came up from behind and pointed the imitation firearm to his head.

Mr Ali silently pressed the emergency button and counted the money, which had been demanded, slowly while facing increased threats from O'Reilly.

The gardaí arrived quickly and no money was paid over, Mr Justice Hogan said.

When the gardaí arrived they produced firearms and announced that they were armed gardaí. It was clear, Mr Justice Hogan said, that O'Reilly did not put down the imitation firearm and it was not in dispute that he pointed the firearm at the two gardaí.

O'Reilly ultimately ran and was hauled to the ground by the gardáí and arrested.

He made no admissions while in detention but did say 'the other lad was innocent: I stuck a gun to his head'.

The so called customer was also charged with certain offences, pleaded guilty and was given a suspended sentence, he said.

It was only right, Mr Justice Hogan said, that the court pay tribute to the conspicuous bravery of Mr Ali and the individual gardaí who “fearlessly responded” to "a potentially very dangerous situation".

Mr Justice Hogan said O'Reilly was an early school leaver with 27 previous convictions for robbery and seven for burglary.

He was chronically addicted to drugs, the judge said, to heroin amongst others. One of the key terms of his suspended sentence was that he should participate in a drug and alcohol treatment programme.

He had been released in April 2014 but the suspended part of his sentence was reactivated following an application by the Probation Service a few days earlier on grounds that he had not fulfilled the condition attached to his sentence.

He is presently serving out the balance of the 18 month suspension, Mr Justice Hogan said.

The judge noted that Mr Ali was very understandably shocked by the incident. He sought time of work, “it would appear no real assistance was forthcoming and he left the job after four years employment there”.

Mr Justice Hogan said there was no doubt that O'Reilly's sentence was lenient. However, the sentencing judge was clearly influenced by O'Reilly's drug addiction, which was the "root cause" of his criminal behaviour.

While the sentence was undoubtedly lenient, the judge had substantial grounds to justify the manner in which this particular sentence for this particular offender was structured.

It was structured so as to persuade and encourage O'Reilly to wean himself from his drug addiction. It may thus be said to offer an example of where rehabilitative considerations were properly put to the fore.

Mr Justice Hogan, who sat with Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan and Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, dismissed the DPP's appeal.

Gardai have arrested four men and seized a large amount of cocaine during a planned search.

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Gardai from the Tipperary Division conducted searches in four premises in the Roscrea area yesterday.

As a result of these searches a quantity of cocaine - subject to analysis - was seized, with an estimated street value of €40,000.

Four men were arrested and were detained under Section 2- Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at Roscrea Nenagh, Thurles and Templemore Garda Stations.

Three of the men have been released without charge and a file will be prepared for the information of the Director of Public Prosecutions. One man remains in custody in Templemore.

"This is part Operation Overwatch, which was set up to target persons involved in the distribution of controlled drugs in the Roscrea area," a spokesperson said.

Veteran criminal Martin Foley is unlikely to face any charges in relation to a bizarre incident in a city centre jewellers after he was accused of false imprisonment.

CCTV of the supposed ‘kidnapping’ incident shows no suggestion that a woman had been held against her will.

Jewellery shop owner Colm Buckley called Gardai and held Foley at his Ilac Centre shop on Monday.

The footage of Foley being dragged to the ground in the Milano store was on YouTube during the week as the 64-year-old remained in hospital after taking a turn while being questioned at Store Street Garda Station. He was released on Thursday.

Buckley’s wife Lucy told us that she was retracting her statements to Gardai. “I just want all this to be forgotten. There is nothing to it,” she said.
It is understood her husband had agreed to sell a €6,000 ring for Foley, but after it was sold the customer’s credit card transaction never processed. Foley said he was owed his money regardless.

Last Monday, Foley had a coffee with Lucy to discuss payment, but the jeweller panicked and rang Gardai.

They were told Foley had held her against her will and demanded money with menaces. However, CCTV footage shows no indication Foley was breaking the law.

Gardai were called to the scene and the veteran gangster and his pal were subsequently arrested.

The 64-year-old has a long history of involvement but only recently got married and had a child. He has more than 40 convictions, some for assault, robbery, and possession of threatening weapons.

Before settling down, he was the subject of four attempted assassinations, and has been shot over a dozen times.

Foley has a total of 15 bullet holes in his body after surviving the murder bids. He is known as "Rasputin" among his criminal colleagues because nobody has ever been able to kill him.

After a botched hit attempt in 2000, Foley spoke about how being shot had affected him.

He said: "When you are shot on three different occasions and you have eleven holes in your body, psychologically the thing is never going to leave you and you would react to certain situations where anything bad might happen."

He was raided by the Criminal Assets Bureau late last year after being handed a bill for €916,960 from them. The bill relates to the alleged under declaration of income tax from his debt collection business Viper Recovery Agency which is now defunct.

Gardai have today arrested three men in connection with the murder of Dean Johnson at Harelawn Green, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 on August 24th 2013.

The men, who are aged in their 20s, and one in his 30s, were arrested in the Dublin area.

Two are detained at Lucan Garda Station and one at Ronanstown Garda Station.

Thirteen people in total have been arrested in connection with this investigation to date.

21-year-old Dean Johnson was gunned down in a cruel and callous manner just yards from his home in Clondalkin, west Dublin.

Three people were involved in his death. One gunman shot at him from a distance before a second gunman stood over him as he lay on the ground and shot him a number of times.

Gardai believe that he was killed in a case of mistaken identity.

A nearby neighbour who rushed out of her house recalled the horrific moment when she realised what had just happened.



“I was the first one there,” the woman, who did not want to be named, said.

“I knew Dean well, but I couldn’t recognise him because there was so much blood on his face.
“He was gurgling and making a horrible sound in this throat, like he was trying to say something, but I couldn’t do anything.”

The young woman, who was still clearly in shock, told how she tried to help the victim as she called an ambulance.

“The ambulance men were telling me over the phone to turn him over,” she recalled as she sat trembling on her doorstep. “I didn’t want to but I did and, oh God, there was so much blood. I could see that he had been shot in the head, but there were loads of other wounds on his body. He died before anybody got here.”
Other neighbours who went to help the young man as he died on the pavement were too frightened to talk to the Sunday World.

A number of months after the murder, his brother Andrew (31) told the Sunday World the killing had devastated the family.

This is the man blasted in a gun attack this week posing for a pic with notorious gangster and jail escapee Lee McDonnell.

Robert Ellis (23) was shot in the stomach while his innocent girlfriend was hit in the arm by a gunman as they walked home on Thursday night

The 23-year-old was blasted in the stomach while his girlfriend was hit in the arm with a small calibre handgun outside a house in Grange View Lawns in West Dublin.

Ellis had previously been warned by Gardaí that his life was in danger.

“We would ask anyone who may have witnessed the attack to contact the Garda confidential line or their local Garda station,” said a spokesperson.