TWO MEMBERS of one of Ireland’s biggest crime gangs are being questioned by gardaí in relation to three murders in Limerick city over the past two years.
The men were arrested yesterday in Wheatfield Prison, west Dublin. Aged 27 and 31, the suspects are both from Limerick city.
The two are being questioned in connection with the gun murders of James Cronin in April 2008, Shane Geoghegan in November 2008 and Roy Collins last April.
One is serving a lengthy term for a serious offence while the other is serving a short sentence for non-violent offences.
They were taken for questioning to Lucan Garda station. The men are being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and can be detained without charge for up to 24 hours.
On April 7th, 2008, the remains of Mr Cronin (21), Ballinacurra Weston, were found dumped in a shallow grave near Limerick’s Caledonian Park. He had been shot in the head.
Gardaí believe he was killed by his own gang because they feared he was about to disclose information to gardaí about another murder it had carried out.
Mr Geoghegan (28) was shot dead close to his home in Kilteragh, Dooradoyle, on November 9th, 2008, in a case of mistaken identity.
The gang who shot him was seeking to kill a drug-dealing rival but mistook Mr Geoghegan for the target as the Garryowen rugby player walked home after an evening at a friend’s house.
Mr Collins, a 35-year-old father of two, was shot dead on his business premises at CoinCastle Amusements in Roxboro shopping centre, Limerick, on April 9th last.
Gardaí believe he was killed because a relative of his gave evidence in court against a Limerick criminal.
In the aftermath of Mr Collins’s murder, legislation was enacted to provide for more gangland trials before the non-jury Special Criminal Court. Other legislation was enacted allowing gardaí to use as evidence in criminal trials audio and visual surveillance gathered covertly.
Gardaí investigating the three murders are satisfied they have identified the killers. There have been a large number of arrests in relation to the killings and some people have appeared before the courts arising from the investigations. More arrests in connection with the murders are expected.
The gang being linked to the killings came to public prominence in the early years of the decade when they emerged as rivals to the drugs empire run by Kieran Keane, who has since been shot dead. The group has been the subject of intensive Garda investigations in recent years. Many core members are in prison serving sentences of varying lengths, including a number of life sentences.
The gang has also seen its drugs and firearms repeatedly seized. Some members have been targeted by the Criminal Assets Bureau and have had the proceeds of crime seized from them, including property and cash. The bureau is conducting another major inquiry into the gang and is trying to identify investment properties they may have bought in Ireland and abroad.