GARDAÍ CARRIED OUT searches across a suburb of Limerick city in recent days as fears mount that the Dundon Organised Crime Group are back operating.
The searches involved a large number of gardaí including members of the Armed Support Unit.
The operation was focused on houses in the Prospect area of the city at houses in Hyde Road and Lenihan Avenue – the Prospect and Ballinacurra Weston area were previously associated with the Dundon gang and their associates.
The Journal has learned that a member of the gang, a relative of jailed leaders John Dundon and Wayne Dundon, has restarted drug operations in the city.
The much-publicised feud between McCarthy/Dundon and Keane/Collopy drug gangs resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people in the early 2000s.
Huge amounts of garda resources were sent to the city after the deaths of innocent men Roy Collins and Shane Geoghegan. They were killed by gunmen associated with the McCarthy/Dundon gang.
Collins was shot because his family had given evidence against the Dundon group and Geoghegan was shot in a case of mistaken identity as the Dundon gang sought to shoot a man associated with the Keane/Collopy gang.
That gang feud was based around a number of areas – with the Dundon/McCarthy faction based in Moyross and Ballinacurra Weston, while the Keane/Collopy gang was based in an area known as the Island with most members living in St Mary’s Park.
Following the jailing of John and Wayne Dundon for murder the gang’s operations were greatly reduced. A female relative had attempted to continue the operations but this did not succeed.
The gang had continued operating by engaging with criminals in other areas of the country while making connections in prison.
One of those connections was with a well known organised crime group in the Drogheda area.
This relationship culminated in members of the Dundon gang and other associates allegedly having involvement in the murder of well known gangland hitman Robbie Lawlor.
While the new leader has avoided any sanction in the North for that alleged involvement he has returned to Limerick and has begun work on restarting the illegal drug trade activities.
The gangster is now using those connections to organised crime groups in Drogheda, the North as well as Dublin to restart the business.
Sources have said that rather than use Limerick based criminals he has brought in criminals from the Tallaght area of Dublin to act as enforcers.
It is understood that gardaí in the city have opted for an early intervention to prevent the activities growing and they sent a search team, backed by heavily armed gardaí, to a number of houses on Thursday.
During that search they found what they believe to be an illegal drug packaging operating in a house.
A garda spokesperson confirmed the searches took place and also the discovery of the drug manufacturing equipment.
“Gardaí attached to the Roxboro Road Crime Office conducted a number of searches at several properties on Hyde Road and Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, Limerick yesterday morning Wednesday 16th February, 2023.
“During the course of the searches a cocaine press was seized and a large quantity of white powder which will now be subject to analysis by Forensic Science Ireland,” he said.
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