One of four men being questioned by gardaí in Limerick following a massive haul of weapons - including a booby-trap car bomb - is an "enforcer" for one of the criminal gangs involved in a long-running bitter feud.
The man in his late 30s - who often wears a bullet proof jacket - was arrested along with three other men at a house on the outskirts of the city on Tuesday afternoon.
A father and son, and a second man in his 30s, were also being questioned by gardaí last night, following the discovery of an arsenal of weapons which included a submachine gun, more than 100 rounds of ammunition and cortex wire.
A small quantity of cocaine and heroin was also seized by members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit and a team of local detectives.
It's believed the 58-year-old father and his son have connections with criminal factions in England. It's also understood that they had been renting the bungalow in Lockmore, Mungret, where the discovery was made.
The two other men arrested at the house are well known to gardaí locally and are heavily involved in drugs and serious criminal activities in Limerick city.
"One of these men is a key figure in one of the gangs involved in the feud, He would be involved in securing weapons and organising attacks for one of the criminal factions and is very close to the boss of one of the families at the centre of feud," said a Garda source.
Gardaí believe the arsenal of weapons was bought from dissident republicans for a sizeable sum of money and was intended for use by one of the gangs involved in the feud which led to the gangland murder of local crime boss Kieran Keane and the alleged abduction of brothers Eddie and Kieran Ryan earlier this year.
"Money is no object for these people. The car bomb was ready for use and undoubtedly lives have been saved as a result of it being found," said a Garda source.
All four men are being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, which means they can be held for up to 72 hours.