Gardaí widen the net in crackdown on armed gangs

Gardaí have begun a new drive to tackle armed gangs and other serious criminals in the regions by expanding the €21 million Operation Anvil out of the greater Dublin area.

The expansion has been ordered by the Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, in response to the proliferation of the illicit drugs trade into the regions and an increase in gun crime.

Senior gardaí are also anxious to crack down on Dublin gangs which are increasingly targeting commercial premises in the regions for robberies as well as stealing valuable cars to order.

Criminal activity in the Border area, much of which involves individuals linked to Sinn Féin/IRA, is also a priority for gardaí.

In recent months there have been gun murders in Clare, Tipperary and Cork. The gang feud in Limerick city is still a major issue for gardaí there.

Gardaí in Sligo have faced family-based feuding in recent years, which has resulted in a number of gun attacks and one murder.

Under the new plans, Assistant Commissioners with responsibility for policing in the regions have been asked to submit plans to Garda headquarters outlining how Operation Anvil could be most effectively used in their areas.

These plans include lists of criminals that should be targeted. Some of the €21 million for overtime hours committed to Operation Anvil in Dublin will now be made available to the Assistant Commissioners in the regions.

Members of specialist units such as the National Surveillance Unit (NSU) and National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI), which investigates all serious crime, will be drafted in from Dublin to work alongside local detectives. "It will involve short, sharp bursts of activity with a lot of resources being ploughed into a small number of operations at a time," said one senior source.

When intelligence has been gathered, members of the NBCI's new 50-strong organised crime unit will take a lead role in arresting suspects and carrying out searches for drugs, guns and stolen property.

Other units such as the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab), Garda National Drugs Unit (GNDU), Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation (GBFI), Emergency Response Unit (ERU) and the Special Detective Unit (SDU) will also be used when needed.

The entire operation will be run under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, who has overall responsibility for operational policing issues within the Garda.