Crime boss arrested as gardaí investigate cigarette heists

A MAJOR criminal figure was one of two people arrested by gardaí investigating two separate cigarette heists yesterday in west Dublin.

The raids occurred a short time after each other and took place in the same garda division.

Detectives are investigating if the robberies are linked and whether the crime boss may have masterminded both of them.

The man, aged in his late 50s, was nabbed by a special garda unit along with another man a short time after the first robbery.

Stolen cigarettes, valued at several hundred thousand euro, were found in the van driven by the second man.

The crime boss, who has served long sentences for fraud and theft, was arrested in a nearby car. Detectives are investigating what evidence they have in relation to any possible prosecution of the criminal figure.

The criminal was released from prison a couple of years ago after serving a five-year jail term for organising a forgery operation. He had extensive contacts with major criminal figures in Dublin over the last few decades and was known as an expert fraudster and “fence” who could offload stolen items.

The first robbery took place in the Blanchardstown area at around 9am when a Bond delivery van was hijacked by a man armed with what appeared to be a handgun.

The van was taken to a nearby pub, where the cigarettes were transferred to a white transit van. The two employees were tied up and left in the back of their own van.

They were able to free themselves and raised the alarm. The van was later stopped near Enfield, Co Meath, by the specialist Organised Crime Unit. A man, thought to be in his late 20s, was arrested and all the cigarettes were recovered. The crime boss, who was driving another car, was also arrested.

Just after 11am, a similar robbery occurred in Cabra, also west Dublin. Two employees of an unmarked DHL delivery man were attacked by three men, who threatened and beat them with what appeared to be a stun gun.

One of the employees resisted and managed to hold onto a key to open the van. The raiders drove the DHL van to a nearby park. They were forced to abandon it after they couldn’t open the van.

Gardaí said the three raiders were aged around 18 or 19. They are seeking information in relation to a red van, similar to a Ford Transit, and a blue car.

Gardaí said they were looking at whether the two crimes were linked, but said they had no evidence yet to connect them.