Dutch police unsure where Irishman was killed

POLICE in Amsterdam have said they don’t know where Irish criminal Keith Ennis was murdered or where his body was dumped into a local canal.

The dismembered remains of the father-of-one were found in a remote stretch of a canal in northern Amsterdam on February 24.

Police were not able to identify him locally and sent his fingerprint details to police agencies across Europe.

Last week, gardaí notified Dutch police that they had a match for the fingerprints and late last week Dutch police contacted Ennis’s parents in Clondalkin, west Dublin, with the grim news.

Ennis, who was facing drugs and firearms offences here, disappeared from his lodgings in Amsterdam where he had been hiding out since he jumped bail after a court appearance in Dublin in October 2007.

Gardaí suspect the 29-year-old fled the country for fear of being killed by gang bosses who were targeted by Garda operations during which Ennis was arrested.

Dutch police said while the location where the body was recovered was remote, it could have travelled there from elsewhere as there is a current in the canal.

“We’re not sure where he was murdered, whether it was in a car, or a house or any dikes,” said Sergeant Arnout Aben.

“We don’t have any clues where he was murdered, we don’t have any clues as to where he was disposed of.”

He said they had appealed to the public if they had seen anything suspicious along the canals, but no one had come forward.

Sgt Aben said some forensic tests were ongoing, but could not say if these could provide any evidence as to his killers.

Sgt Aben said the detective squad in the north Amsterdam division was investigating. He said there were no suspects at the moment.

The police sergeant said the remains of Ennis had been released yesterday by the coroner to the family.

It is not known whether the Dublin gang bosses found him and organised his murder or if he was killed as part of a local feud.

It is understood gardaí are conducting inquiries to identify anyone here who could have been involved in his murder and tracing their movements, including to the Netherlands.