Kinahan’s associates arrested on way to hit
A CLOSE associate of one of the men injured in Dublin’s Regency Hotel attack was arrested after gardaí foiled an attempted hit yesterday.
The man, from Crumlin, was also close friends with David Byrne, who was killed in the February shooting. He was arrested after his car was stopped by members of the Emergency Response Unit and Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.
A second man, also from Crumlin and a close associate of the Kinahan cartel, was arrested nearby in a second car a short time later.
Detectives believe they foiled an attempted hit as part of the ongoing Kinahan/Hutch feud after discovering a handgun and ammunition in one of the cars.
The first car was stopped on the Naas dual carriageway shortly before 3pm yesterday, while most of the country was watching Ireland’s Euro 2016 game against Belgium.
Shortly afterwards, a second car was stopped on the Long Mile Road and the driver was arrested.
The men, both aged in their 30s, are being detained at Dublin Garda stations and investigations are ongoing.
The deadly feud, which quickly became a one-sided wipeout, has claimed seven lives. Five of those were Hutch family, friends and associates. A sixth victim was an innocent bystander. The other victim was David Byrne, a Kinahan associate who was shot dead in an attack at Dublin’s Regency Hotel in February.
The Monk’s brother, Eddie, his nephews Gary and Gareth and best friend Noel ‘Kingsize’ Duggan were all gunned down. Dissident associate Michael Barr was also shot dead, while innocent Martin O’Rourke was killed in a case of mistaken identity.
Gareth Hutch is the feud’s latest victim. He was killed as he got into his car last month.
Days earlier he told a local councillor he feared for his own life, informing Nial Ring he did not want to be shot in front of his seven-year-old son. His murder came the same morning he had written to his social welfare officer asking for help. The MoS has previously revealed that a son of Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch begged gardaí for advice on staying safe as the blood feud intensified.
Jason Hutch – who is not involved in criminality – asked gardaí in Clontarf, Dublin, for advice after his cousin Gareth was killed in broad daylight.
The development came as the MoS revealed that up to 10 of Gerry Hutch’s extended family and associates were on the Kinahan’s hitlist.
They included close family of Hutch and criminal associates based in the north inner city. Up to 70 others, many of whom have no involvement in crime, have also been warned that their lives are in danger.
Many of those under threat have young children and grandchildren and one recently became a first-time father.
Hutch’s nephew Ross – who has over 50 previous convictions, including one for possession of a loaded shotgun in 2013 – is considered a serious target. The 24-year-old fatherof-two appeared on RTÉ’s Winning Streak last year on behalf of his older brother, Eddie, and won €33,000 in cash.
Nephew Nathan Hutch,who has minor criminal convictions, is also said to be under threat.
Another nephew – whose girlfriend is linked to the Kinahan cartel – is also a prime target in this audacious feud.
‘Close associates of Kinahan cartel’ ‘Found a handgun and ammunition’