Gardai in south Dublin are investigating an outbreak of tyre-slashing in two residential areas and are considering possible connections to local drug-dealers.
Early yesterday, tyres on 31 cars in Templemore Avenue, off Highfield Road in Rathgar, were damaged. Tyres on four cars in Brandon Road, Drimnagh, were slashed a short time later.
The slashing of tyres in residential areas is reminiscent of the actions of the gang led by the Dublin criminal Martin Cahill, who was shot dead in 1994. These included a bomb attack which seriously injured a forensic scientist, Dr James Donovan, in 1982.
Cahill also embarked on a campaign of tyre-slashing across the south of the city in locations where he thought gardai or State officials lived.
It was not known yesterday if the latest slashings were connected to organised criminal gangs.
However, Garda sources said that at least two drug gangs in the south of the city have had their operations damaged by Garda action in recent weeks. One of these gangs includes the nephew of a leading member of Cahill's gang.
This man's nephew, a suspected drug-dealer, was arrested this week. Gardai found a roll of £100 notes in his back pocket even though he has no obvious means of income. The matter has been referred to the Criminal Assets Bureau, which can seize illegal earnings.
The Garda action has disrupted the activities of a Crumlin gang which has become one of the largest suppliers of drugs in the city. Also this week, another prominent member of a Drimnagh-based gang was arrested and is expected to face charges connected with drug-dealing. The man is from Crumlin and works for a family in Drimnagh which is also heavily involved in the drugs trade.
The trade has been increasing in the past two years in the south of the city as gangs have begun re-establishing it after the successful operations which followed the murder of the journalist Veronica Guerin in June 1996. That investigation broke up the largest drugs gang in the city.
However, it appears that a number of gangs in the south of the city have built up substantial drug networks once more.
Gardai have also been involved in investigations into the intimidation of witnesses by criminal gangs. A campaign of intimidation has been taking place and at least three families have been forced to resettle outside Dublin.