TWO replica guns and some ammunition were among the items found yesterday when gardai raided more than 30 apartments in central Dublin.
The raid began shortly after 6.30 am. when up to 80 gardai surrounded a large apartment block on Buckingham Street in the north inner city. The gardai gained access to about 35 apartments in an operation which lasted two hours.
One man was arrested and gardai said that apart from the replica guns and ammunition, they recovered some items of stolen property and small quantities of substances believed to be illegal drugs.
The apartments were built by Patrick Shanahan, the businessman and criminal shot in Drimnagh, Dublin, in October, 1994.
A flat linked to one senior republican figure was among the premises raided, but sources indicated the raid was not part of the operations against paramilitary activity prompted by the shooting of Det Garda Jerry McCabe three weeks ago.
The raid on the complex was linked to an investigation by gardai based at Fitzgibbon Street station into the killing of John Reddan at the Blue Lion pub in Parnell Street in April. Gardai have already arrested and questioned a number of people in connection with the murder.