Gardai saved 50 lives under threat from feuding gangs

THE LIVES of almost 50 people have been saved where there was a ‘credible threat’ to murder them by organised crime gangs.

In a special crime operations briefing yesterday, Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll said ‘just short’ of 50 people who were under threat from rival criminals were saved through Garda operations.

He added: ‘In the 48 or 49 cases, death was imminent if we did not intervene. Unfortunately, as we are aware, a number of deaths have taken place.’

The senior officer said gardaí are working with international police and security agencies to target those at the top echelons of Dublin’s two feuding cartels.

Many senior members of the Kinahans live in the United Arab Emirates while the Netherlands and Spain are also home to gangsters linked to both sides of the feud.

Mr O’Driscoll made his comments after a major Garda operation on Saturday which saw gardaí swoop on a murder hit-squad attempting to shoot dead Patsy Hutch, the brother of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch.

Four men remain in custody and five firearms were seized.