Gardaí swoop to put a stop to gangland ‘hit’
GARDAI believe they foiled an attempted assassination on a member of the Hutch family after a long-running Dublin feud between the Hutch and Kinahan families alarmingly switched focus to County Wexford where the intended victim is living.
Detectives from Enniscorthy, assisted by Armed Support Units from the South Eastern Region and Special Crime Operations, arrested two Dublin men after intercepting them at Millands, Gorey, during the early hours of Thursday morning.
Firearms, ammunition and three cars were seized during the intelligence-led operation. A 27 year-old man from Dublin’s North Inner City was arrested at the scene, while a second man, aged 25, was pursued across the fields before being found hiding in another car nearby. Both men were arrested and brought to Enniscorthy Garda Station for questioning under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. A Glock semi-automatic pistol and a Webley revolver were found at the scene in the footwell of a car. Ammunition for the firearms was also seized.
Local people were shocked to wake up to the news that this bloody feud had found its way to their doorstep.
A spokesman for Enniscorthy Gardaí confirmed that the Kinahan gang had connections in the Gorey area and previously the Criminal Assets Bureau had carried out raids at properties relating to organised crime in North Wexford. ‘It is unclear at the moment what their intentions were,’ the spokesman said, speaking from the station where the men were being held, ‘we can only assume at this stage.’
While he confirmed that the two men were not local, the garda spokesman refused to say specifically where the men were from.
However, it is reported that both are originally from Dublin’s north inner city Sheriff Street and Docklands areas.
While this is the area in which the Hutch family and their associates are based, it is believed that the two men detained at Enniscorthy Garda Station were in fact aligned to the Kinahan gang.
Gardaí believe that the men were in Gorey to carry out a gun attack on a member of the Hutch family who lives locally. It is reported that an effort was made to target the same man two years ago when he was on a family holiday in Majorca, however, his attackers shot dead Dublin council worker Trevor O’Neill in a case of mistaken identity.
The men arrested on Thursday were under surveillance for some time and gardaí believed that they were about to carry out their attack when they swooped.
It is believed that one of the detained men had previously been arrested for his role in an attempt to carry out a gun murder linked to the Sheriff Street feud in Dublin some years ago. He has also served a lengthy prison sentence for firearms offences and according to some sources has spent most of his adult life in jail.
Following the arrests in Gorey, a number of follow-up searches, including in Dublin, were carried out. Investigations are ongoing.
On Sunday, Gardaí said two men, aged 25 and 27, arrested on March 15 had been released without charge. A file will now be prepared for the information of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Gardaí have appealed for information in relation to the movement of three vehicles between 6 p.m. on March 14 and 2.30 a.m. on March 15: a Grey Volkswagen Golf, white Volkswagen Jetta and blue Nissan Qashqai.
Gardaí also seek assistance in relation to any suspicious activity in the Millands Area of Gorey and at Junction 22 (Greens Berry Farm) on the N11 between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. on March 15.
Anyone with information should contact the incident room in Enniscorthy Garda Station on 053-42580, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.