Gardaí set to move on suspects in slaying of gang chief

DETECTIVES investigating the gangland murder of crime boss Eamon Dunne are expected to make a significant breakthrough within the next week.

Gardaí are closing in on the main suspects for the assassination of the north Dublin gang chief, who was shot dead two weeks ago.

And in a separate gangland investigation, gardaí have sought a European arrest warrant for a Dublin man suspected of carrying out a double murder, on the orders of Dunne, of heroin dealer Michael Cronin, and his runner James Maloney, in Dublin in January 2009.

This man fled to Spain after the murder and reports have circulated since that he was murdered by Dunne’s gang, although this has not been confirmed. Dunne, 34, from Dunsoughly Drive, Finglas, was gunned down by a team of hitmen as he sat drinking with friends and his 17-year-old daughter in the Faussagh House pub in Cabra, in Dublin’s north inner city, on April 23. A massive Garda investigation was set up and a shortlist of suspects was drawn up by detectives.

Gardaí quickly narrowed the reason behind the murder to three possible motives and are about to determine the actual motive. The investigation team is expected to close in on the suspects within the week.

Gardaí have remained tight-lipped as to the identities of the main suspects and are releasing little information about the details of the investigation. However, the Garda team is thought to be happy with the progress of their investigation. At the time of the murder, Garda sources described the murder of Dunne as “professional and polished”. However, the car believed to have been used by the hitmen was subsequently discovered.

Attempts to burn out the car to destroy any evidence failed and gardaí recovered some items, including a glove near the car. Gardaí also examined CCTV footage from inside the pub with the hope of identifying the “spotter” who texted information to the hit-team on Dunne’s exact location.

Speculation regarding possible suspects for Dunne’s murder include associates of slain Finglas crime figure, Paul “Farmer” Martin, who was killed on the orders of Dunne in August 2008, and a relative of Martin “Marlo” Hyland, who was Dunne’s predecessor as crime boss.

Dunne was involved in Marlo’s murder in December 2006.