Four held after detectives foil suspected Kinahan murder bid

FOUR people linked to the Kinahan drugs cartel were arrested in Dublin last night during what is suspected to have been a planned operation to kill a man close to the rival Hutch family.

Gardaí recovered two loaded firearms which it’s believed would have been used in the suspected attempted hit.

‘At approximately 4.15pm, two vehicles were intercepted during an operation on Monastery Gate Avenue, Clondalkin,’ gardaí said last night.

‘During a search of the vehicles, two loaded revolvers were recovered (ballistic examination pending).’

Gardaí said three men aged 26, 28 and 29 and one woman aged 28 were arrested and are currently being held at Clondalkin Garda Station under the provisions of Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939.

Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll, the head of Special Crime Operations, said: ‘The targeting of people to kill or seriously injure, by organised crime groups continues.

‘However, this activity is being tackled by members of An Garda Síochana in Special Crime Operations and other units, who are determined to protect life, seize firearms and arrest those involved.’

In a separate operation, cannabis herb worth €1.6million and €21,000 in cash were seized during the arrest of two men in Co. Carlow.

The arrests were part of ongoing investigations being conducted by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

Gardaí last night said they were ‘targeting serious and organised crossjurisdictional criminal activity with the assistance of Europol’.

Detectives searched a premises located on Tullow Road, Carlow and a significant quantity of cannabis herb was recovered along with the cash.

Both males, one 38 and the other 39, were last night being detained under drug trafficking legislation at Kilkenny Garda Station.