Gardaí and Defence Forces target Limerick drugs gangs

Gardaí, supported by Defence Forces soldiers, searched properties and lands across Limerick on Thursday in a planned operation targeting the assets of a drugs gang based on the south side of the city.

The organised crime group, whose base is in the Southill area of Limerick City, are aligned to criminals who were involved in a gang feud that claimed 19 lives, including innocent members of the public, and injured dozens more, in the early to mid-2000s.

“Property seized during the course of these searches include a BMW, an item of designer jewellery, a number of electronic items and six shotgun cartridges,” said a Garda spokesman.

“Drugs were also seized including approximately €64,600 of suspected amphetamine and approximately €89,600 of suspected cannabis.”

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“Approximately €76,580 in cash was recovered with a further €18,000 frozen in credit union accounts.”

“Three men aged in their 30s and 40s were arrested during this operation and are currently detained at Garda Stations in the Limerick Region.”

The gang targeted by Gardaí has been involved in a number of localised feuds with other criminal groups on the south side of Limerick.

Associates of the group also have convictions in relation to a shooting in which they targeted members of the Dundon McCarthy criminal group. An innocent young person was wounded in one drive-by shooting.

The Dundon gang has been largely broken up by Gardaí after some off their own associates testified against senior members of the gang in a series of high profile murder trials that resulted in convictions and life sentences for the gang leaders.

The Southill gang have attempted to fill a gap in the Limerick drugs market on the south side of the city since the break-up of the Dundon gang, according to sources.

“Where there is drugs there is money, and that’s the bottom line,” said a source familiar with the Southill gang’s criminal activities.

Today, Gardai searched properties and lands in Southill, as well as Pallasgreen and Caherconlish which are located in southeast county Limerick.

Garda officers attached to the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) were supported by local armed garda and detective units, drugs units, as well as the Organised Crime Bureau and Garda Dog Unit.

“Todays’s search was conducted as part of an ongoing proceeds of crime investigation targeting assets including properties deriving in whole or part from the proceeds of criminal activity,” a source said.

Gardaí also suspect a senior associate of the gang, who is mostly based abroad, of being involved in money laundering for Limerick drugs gangs..

Counting on today’s operation a garda spokesman said Gardaí conducted “an intelligence-led operation targeting the activities of an organised crime group in the Limerick Region”. The spokesman said “seventeen property searches” took place across Limerick City and County.

“Open areas of land in the Southill area of Limerick City were also searched by An Garda Síochána supported by the Irish Defence Forces,” he added.