KEN FOY, CRIME CORRESPONDENT – 17 APRIL 2013 10:40 AM
A NORTH Dublin criminal gang has been linked to the latest multi-million euro drugs haul seized by gardai.
Detectives are now investigating whether this latest seizure could be linked to the criminal gang behind the murder of Real IRA terror chief Alan Ryan.
Heroin was seized by gardai in Cavan yesterday.
It was initially estimated to have a street value of €750,000 – but following analysis, it's now believed the haul could be worth as much as €2m.
The drugs were seized at a vacant house at Garryross in Virginia, Co Cavan, on Monday afternoon after a member of the public found the stash.
An "old but still functioning" sub-machine gun and ammunition was also discovered during the search by officers from Bailieborough Garda Station.
"This was pure, uncut heroin – the estimated street value of it could now be almost €3m. This is a massive seizure," said a senior source.
Garda investigations are focusing on whether the huge haul is linked to one of Ireland's most notorious criminal gangs whose stronghold is in the Coolock area of north Dublin.
The two leaders of this gang are currently in prison – but one of the men had previously lived close to where gardai made the "highly significant" discovery.
Mastermind
This veteran criminal is considered a 'tiger kidnap' mastermind, while his right-hand man controls the "drugs end" of the gang's enterprises.
Before being locked up earlier this year, the gang bosses continued to direct operations and stepped up a campaign of terror against what has been left of the RIRA mob which was led by Ryan.
Sources say that the feared duo had been in a "cash drive" with the older criminal in particular demanding that other gangs who "clubbed in" for Ryan's murder "cough up money" that was owed to the actual hitmen who murdered Ryan.
Sources say that Co Cavan has proven to be a very popular county for major league Dublin criminals to live in with a number of dangerous gangs being identified there by officers.
"East Cavan in particular now has dozens of Dublin gangland criminals living it," said a senior source.
The gang are linked to a crew of contract killers nicknamed 'The Taliban' who are suspected of being involved in seven gruesome gangland murders including the double murders of small-time criminals Joseph Redmond (25) and Anthony Burnett (31) – the two men who were shot and burned in a forest near Dundalk, Co Louth, in March of last year.
The mobsters got involved in a deadly feud with Alan Ryan's Real IRA mob when he attempted to extort cash from them.
