GARDAÍ have discovered a major arms cache, including grenades and machine guns, which they believe was destined to be used by a notorious feuding Limerick criminal gang. The weaponry – including 28 grenades, 400 rounds of ammunition, two machine guns and two pistols – was discovered on May 27 during a garda search of a house near Ahane. An army bomb disposal unit based in Cork travelled to the house to examine the deadly weapons.
Army officers made safe the grenades and, handed the bombs and other weapons over to gardaí for a full forensic examination.
“The unit got a call around 11am and made it way to the house. When they arrived members of the team made safe for transportation the grenades, guns and ammunition and handed them over to gardaí. The team declared the scene safe at around 3pm,” explained army press officer, Captain Pat O’Connor.
The deadly arms haul was transported to garda headquarters in Dublin and will be examined by forensic experts.
Gardaí believe a criminal gang, based on the north side of Limerick city, were going to use the weapons to unleash terror among rival gangs for control of the Limerick drugs trade.
The drugs trade has been blown wide-open in recent weeks, leaving a major gap to fill, following the conviction of one of Limerick’s most senior players for possession of heroin last week.
A Garda source added: “Two guys connected to one of the gangs were released from prison recently and they have been raising the bar since they got out of jail. They are trying to recover the ground they had lost while they were in prison,” said a senior garda source.
The two men were intercepted by an armed garda unit from the RSU (Regional Southern Unit) in recent days as the men approached a rival gang’s estate on the south side of of the city.
“Who knows what they would have done if we hadn’t been there,” the source added.
“This investigation is part our continued surveillance of people involved in feuding activities. The Garda Commissioner is being kept abreast of our investigations. It just goes to show the level of garda activity that is needed to combat this feuding activity,” explained the source”.
According to Chief Superintendent David Sheahan, “between 50 and 60 gardaí are working on the investigation into the arms seizure.
“We have search teams, people looking at video footage, surveillance officers, and gardaí conducting house-to-house inquiries. We see this as a major blow against gangland activity.
“It shows you have to keep the finger on the pulse. If we didn’t have the resources like we have at the moment we would be in trouble. We can’t become complacent and we won’t become complacent. We have to maintain it,” Chief Supt Sheahan added.
Garda searches are ongoing, and arrests are likely to follow, gardaí said.
