Gardaí are increasingly concerned about the ability of Irish gangs to acquire military-grade weapons, including automatic rifles that appear to come from military stores.
There have been a number of major seizures of such weapons in recent years, including last week when authorities seized a kind of weapon used almost exclusively by special forces troops and elite police units.
The weapons are often imported alongside major drug consignments.
However, for the most part, they are not being used in gun attacks. Instead criminals are seeking the weapons as status symbols and to intimidate rivals, gardaí believe.
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Gardaí began noticing a rise in the number of military-grade weapons in criminal hands around three years ago. The guns also began showing up in “call-out” videos posted to social media by criminals to intimidate rivals.
Criminals also began posting videos of themselves firing these weapons, either at undisclosed locations in Ireland or at firing ranges in other countries with more relaxed firearms laws.
In early 2022, gang leader Glen Ward, known as “Mr Flashy”, and associate Eric O’Driscoll appeared on film with two AR-15 semi-automatic rifles and an Ingram machine pistol.
The rifles were engraved with a skull and the words “Don’t push me”.
The video was later used to convict the men of firearms possession in the Special Criminal Court.
Some of these weapons are purchased at legitimate firearms outlets in the United States before being broken down and smuggled into Ireland. These weapons look like automatic, military firearms. However, they are typically semi-automatic, meaning they fire one bullet every time the trigger is pulled.
Last year gardaí in Co Louth seized an arsenal of weapons that included six semi-automatic AR-15 assault rifles and 900 rounds of ammunition.
The Special Criminal Court later heard the guns were purchased at a Nevada gun store before being broken down and smuggled into Ireland in pieces.
However, a recent garda seizure included one AR-15 style rifle that was fully automatic, indicating it came from military or police stores. The rifle, a Heckler & Koch 416, is used by elite firearms units around the world.
These include the Garda Emergency Response Unit and the Defence Forces’ Army Ranger Wing, although there is nothing to suggest the weapon came from Irish stores.
Another semi-automatic assault rifle was seized in the same operation. This was a more basic model and appeared to be made up of parts from different weapons, sources said. Its serial number had been erased, it is alleged.
Two men are before the courts in relation to the seizure.
Security sources said AR-15 type rifles were difficult to handle and required specific training. This, along with their large size, makes them impractical for criminal uses.
Of all the organised crime-related murders in the State in recent years, none has been carried out with these types of rifles apart from the 2016 Regency Hotel attack when masked gunmen used AK-47 style rifles to murder David Byrne.
Even during the Hutch-Kinahan feud that followed the Regency attack, most murders were carried out with small-calibre handguns.
“They are more likely to injure themselves with these things than anyone else,” a senior garda said. They pointed to the death of Dublin drug dealer Josh Itseli in Drimnagh in the city last year.
Gardaí believe Mr Itseli (20) was killed when an AR-15 he acquired went off accidentally while he and his associates were travelling in a car.
The gang, which also had a pipe bomb, were on the way to attack a rival, investigators believe.
“These weapons appear to be more status symbols than anything else,” a source said. “It proves you have the connections and clout to obtain heavy firearms.”
