A NOTORIOUS criminal linked to gangland murders was arrested over a cash-in-transit robbery this week.
The Sunday World can reveal that vicious hood
Robbie Lawlor was one of two men arrested following the robbery of a cash-in-transit van at Clare Hall shopping centre on Dublin's northside.
The convicted drug dealer from Coolock is well known to gardai and has been a suspect in a number of gangland murders.
Dangerous
"He is a complete loose cannon. He's a very dangerous individual," said one source.
Lawlor was arrested by gardai investigating the murder of David 'Fred'Lynch, who was shot dead as part of a feud in Coolock in 2009.
He was also the prime suspect in the shooting of Anthony Ayodeji, who was shot five times in a car in Buttercup Park in 2008 while holding a baby in his arms. Ayodeji somehow survived the shooting. Lawlor was also nominated as a potential suspect in other shootings including that of Noel Deans who was shot dead in 2010 and an attack on John Paul Joyce.
Sources say Lawlor was also feuding with gangboss Eamon Dunne at the time of Dunne's death in 2010.
"There was a couple of hundred grand belonging to Dunne in a car at Bewley's on the N32 and Lawlor is thought to have took it," a Sunday World source said.
"They had a major falling out over this and Dunne threatened to kill him.
"Lawlor armed himself to the teeth after this and he was going around telling people he was ready to kill Dunne.
If Dunne hadn't have been shot dead Lawlor probably would have tried to take him out or Dunne would have taken out Lawlor."Lawlor also had links to 'Micka' Kelly who was shot dead by the Real IRA in 2011.
Our source added: "He [Lawlor] had links to Micka and his crew,like Paul 'Burger' Walsh but he would have worked with a fair few different gangs. He was a bit of a gun for hire."
He also has convictions for drugs after being caught with more than €40,000 worth of cocaine back in 2004. He received a seven-year sentence for that offence.
Arrested
He has several other convictions including previous drugs convictions and convictions relating to stolen cars. He has also been linked to previous cash-in-transit robberies.
When gardai confronted Lawlor and his pal about the cash-in-transit robbery, they resisted arrested and had to be pepper sprayed.Gardai recovered the cash taken in the robbery as well as a firearm close to the scene where the men were arrested.
The two men were held at Coolock garda station where they were questioned. They were released yesterday while a file is being prepared for the DPP.
