The man was one of two men arrested after gardai seized six AR-15 assault rifles and 12 semi-automatic 9mm handguns along with approximately 900 rounds of ammunition
The man, who is a gun enthusiast aged in his 30s, was one of two men arrested after gardai seized six AR-15 assault rifles and 12 semi-automatic 9mm handguns along with approximately 900 rounds of ammunition in an industrial unit on the outskirts of Ardee, Co Louth on Friday afternoon.
He is suspected of being part of organised crime gang based in the border area who were supplying weapons to other gangs operating across Ireland.
One of the arrested men is from Dundalk but has lived in various areas north and south of the border.
He has numerous previous convictions and was involved in a stolen-car ring operating in the border area a number of years ago.
Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe
He had links to the gang behind the murder of Garda Adrian Donohoe at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, in 2013.
He was not suspected of any involvement in Det Gda Donohoe’s murder but was one of many associates of the gang questioned by gardai as part of a painstaking probe into the callous killing.
He had links to Aaron Brady from Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, who is serving a life sentence for the murder, and Brendan ‘Benny’ Treanor who was charged but acquitted of the robbery of the credit union on the night of Det Gda Donohoe’s murder.
The gang had been involved in creeper burglaries and the Dundalk man arrested on Friday, who is a motoring enthusiast, got involved in a stolen car ring with them.
“He was on the periphery of that [stolen car ring] but was linked to them. He wasn’t considered a high-level criminal,” a source said.
He was also involved in crimes such as oil thefts and high-speed chases.
Benny Treanor
There is no suggestion Brady or any members of his former gang were linked to the firearms haul.
The second man arrested on Friday is also based in Louth and has dual US-Irish citizenship. The man, who is aged in his 30s, is a Trump-supporting gun enthusiast who has expressed conspiracy theory views about various topics including Covid-19 and homophobic views about former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. He has also posted material from Irish far-right parties online.
Gardai believe the gang were involved in importing gun components from several countries including the United States and the Netherlands before assembling the weapons at a base in Ardee.
Gardaí suspect the gun components were shipped into Ireland before the gang manufactured these parts into fully functioning firearms to be sold onto other gangs.
The AR-15 assault rifle is the weapon of choice for many mass killers in the US as it fires bullets at such a high velocity and in quick succession that it can kill multiple people with maximum damage in a matter of seconds.
The gunman who attempted to murder Donald Trump at a rally in the US last weekend used an AR-15.
Closer to home, the weapons have been linked to at least two Dublin crime gangs and one murder in the capital in recent years.
Gardai believe Friday’s seizure has dismantled a major firearms trafficking operation in Ireland.
Gardai had received intelligence about the gang’s operation before personnel attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau supported by the Garda Emergency Response Unit carried out a search of a premises on the outskirts of Ardee, Co. Louth and discovered the weapons haul.
A number of follow-on searches were later carried out at several properties in the county, with assistance provided by Gardaí from the Louth Divisional Crime Unit, Louth Drug Units as well as the Garda Dog Unit.
Aaron Brady (right)
The two men were arrested under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 on suspicion of participation in the activities of a criminal organisation to facilitate firearms trafficking.
Speaking on Friday, Assistant Commissioner for Organised and Serious Crime, Justin Kelly said, “Today’s seizure of firearms and ammunition is particularly significant. These would have undoubtedly been used to maim, kill and intimidate those in communities across Ireland.
“Weapons such as those seized by Gardaí today are the lifeblood of organised criminal groups – who often use violence as part of their drug trafficking operations.
“I wish to commend the dedication of all the Gardaí involved in this operation. Operations like todays demonstrate our determination to make Ireland a hostile environment for organised criminal groups to operate.”
The two men were being questioned as a garda station in Louth last night and can be held for up to seven days.
