Two due in court in firearms sale investigation

TWO people are due in court today in connection with an investigation into the suspected sale of firearms.

In an operation involving the gardaí’s elite armed wing and its surveillance unit, officers swooped on two cars.

They recovered a quantity of cash, a loaded revolver and ammunition.

The successful operation took place in Co Louth between 6pm and 7pm on Thursday. The two cars were stopped in the Castlebellingham and Haggardstown areas outside Dundalk, both of which are on the former Dublin-to-Belfast road.

The investigation was led by officers from the Louth Garda Division, supported by the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) and the National Surveillance Unit (NSU).

The NSU monitored the movements of the two cars, while local gardaí, were supported by armed officers from the ERU.

After stopping the cars without incident, they searched the two vehicles. They recovered a quantity of cash from one of the vehicles. In the second car, they found a .38 revolver and ammunition. It is understood the revolver was loaded. Two 21-year-old men from Dundalk were arrested, along with a 30-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman from north Dublin.

Two of the men, aged 30 and 21, are to appear in court today on charges relation to the possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Another 21-year-old man and the woman have been released without charge following questioning in Carrickmacross Garda Station.

They were all held under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. It is believed the incident is linked to the activities of a criminal gang and gardaí have not ruled out the possibility that it is drugs-related.

Garda sources suggested there were no possible subversive links.