Eleven people arrested by gardaí investigating a family-based feud that has already claimed two lives are still in custody this evening.
Gardaí carried out 20 searches across Dublin, including at cells in Mountjoy prison, this morning.
The search operation yielded ammunition, drugs and cash believed to be the proceeds of drug dealing.
Gardaí also found documents they believe are linked to drug dealing along with assorted drug distribution paraphernalia.
A number of laptop computers, mobile phones and financial documentation have also been seized as part of the Garda’s efforts to trace the assets and cash arising from the drug dealing by the north Dublin gang targeted in the so-called ‘super raid’.
The raid targeted a group of people closely associated with a convicted a murderer from Dublin’s north inner city. The man cannot be named at this time for legal reasons.
However, around six years ago he and his family became involved in a dispute with another north inner city family with whom they were once friends.
They initially fell out in an argument over damage to a car. Tensions escalated over time, resulting in a street fight in which a young woman suffered stab wounds and a man sustained serious head injuries.
Since then, one man from each family has been murdered in gun attacks believed to be linked to the feud.
An important court date is looming for one of the feuding men and yesterday’s operation was aimed at trying to detect and prevent violence linked to the dispute in the run up to that court appearance.
A total of 18 houses and apartments were searched this morning along with two business premises and a number of vehicles.
The 11 arrested people – eight men and three women – are aged from their 20s to their 50s.
Of these, five men and one woman are being held under anti gang legislation; Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act.
A further three – two men and one woman – are being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. Of other two people arrested, one woman has been taken directly to the Dochas Centre at Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison complex on an outstanding matter while one man has been arrested in relation to the drugs find.
The suspects are being detained at Garda stations across the city and can be held for varying periods of time without charge, up to seven days in some cases.