Five men arrested in organised crime gang probe in Dublin

By Cate McCurry, PA

Gardaí investigating an organised crime group have arrested five men in a major search operation in Dublin on Saturday.

More than 100 gardai from several units raided a number of residential properties across the Blanchardstown area in west Dublin.

The operation involved officers from Blanchardstown Garda Station, the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), Armed Support Unit (ASU), Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT), Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI), Garda Dog Unit, Garda National Technical Bureau and local divisional search teams and scenes of crime units.

The properties were searched under warrant.

Five men – four aged in their 20s, one in his 40s – have been arrested and are currently detained at garda stations in west Dublin under section 72 Criminal Justice Act, 2006 for the investigation of alleged offences contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.

Searches are ongoing and gardai say no further information is available at this time.