Detectives investigating the murder of the Dundalk publican Mr Stephen Connolly (26), believe he may have been killed for refusing to pay a five-figure sum to a gang with INLA links.
They suspect the leader of the gang sanctioned his death after continued efforts to extort protection money from Mr Connolly failed. Estimates of the amount the gang wanted vary, but one Garda source said they ran into five figures.
Gardai are satisfied one of the people who knew about the protection racket is a senior INLA member who is suspected of involvement in a number of gangland style killings in Dublin. He has not been charged with any related offence.
The Dundalk murder had all the hallmarks of a professional hit. The preliminary findings of the post-mortem indicated the gunman continued to shoot at the unarmed man as he ran from him. The final and fatal shot was fired into Mr Connolly's back.
It is believed the handgun used was a .38 revolver.
Gardai are now examining the possibility that ongoing efforts were made to extort money from him by the gang, all known criminals in Dundalk who are linked to the INLA.
The leader of the gang is well known in the area. While it is unlikely he carried out the shooting, he would have had to "sanction" it. Detectives investigating the murder have established that in recent months Mr Connolly had made concerted efforts to clear any suspected drug dealers from the pub, the Carlton bar.
He had barred a number of alleged dealers and employed doormen to keep them off the premises.
This may have also angered the men demanding money from him. It is believed they offered to keep drug dealers off the premises if he paid them. Detectives now believed Mr Connolly may have been targeted for a beating and possibly a "punishment shooting" when masked and armed men attempted to abduct him in March.
They are also examining the possibility that the gang may have been prepared to kill him at that point if he had continued to refuse to hand over any money. At the time he managed to escape and waved down a passing Garda car.