A suspected terror chief and three young men were arrested yesterday in a massive security operation targeting dissident republicans. Specialist anti-terrorism squads and elite armed units, directed by Garda Intelligence, went to 20 addresses in counties Louth, Dublin and Wexford and arrested four suspects.

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of dissident republican activity in Dublin.

Subversive gangs were about to launder over €2m worth of fake notes into the economy when elite gardaí swooped on a sophisticated counterfeit plant.

Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy is to be honoured at the Humbert Summer School for his work on piloting garda reforms, it emerged today.