Gardaí quiz 10 suspected dissidents over attempted extortion of drug dealers
In one of the largest arrests of terror suspects, officers from the Special Detective Unit (SDU) swooped on 10 men in a north Dublin estate on Thursday night.
The gang, members of the Continuity IRA, had called to the homes of two drug dealers in the Balbriggan area at about 9.30pm and had demanded between €40,000 and €50,000 from each under the threat of death.
The gang had initially called to the house of an innocent couple and left them traumatised after making threats regarding “coffins” and “funerals” to them.
Three of them stayed at the door, some masked, while seven more stood intimidating the couple from the footpath.
The dissidents realised they had got the wrong house and left. They then located the two houses they were supposed to target and made the same demands and threats.
Gardaí were alerted to the Castleisland estate by a resident who saw a large group of men, some wearing balaclavas, walking around.
A large SDU team arrived at the scene and arrested the 10 men.
Garda sources said the group consisted of dissidents and criminals from different parts of the city including Ballymun, Coolock, Blanchardstown and Ballyfermot. Some of them were from known Traveller families, which gardaí say is not commonly seen in dissident republican investigations.
Officers do not yet know if the gang was extorting for the benefit of the Continuity IRA or for their own personal gain.
Paramilitary outfits, such as the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA, have been increasingly resorting to extortion as a means of fundraising in recent years.
The terror gangs take a cut or a tax from drug dealers while at the same time, claiming to the community they are putting the squeeze on dealers.
Gardaí believe the gang is headed by a convicted terrorist from the Ballymun and Santry area of Dublin. All 10 were arrested on suspicion of membership of an illegal organisation.
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