Gardaí believe two men found in burnt-out car were murdered in gangland drugs row

Gardaí believe that two men whose charred remains were found on top of one another in a burnt-out car were murdered in a gangland row over drugs.

It was also confirmed that the car, a Volkswagen Golf, was stolen in Dublin earlier this week.

The car and its grim contents were set on fire at a beauty spot in Louth late on Wednesday night.

The remains of the men were found on top of each other in the front of the car and the driver’s door was partly open.

The deputy state pathologist Dr Khalid Jaber will carry out a postmortem on the bodies this morning after which gardaí are hoping they will be able to confirm how they met their death.

Gardaí are looking at the possibility the men may have been from Dublin.

It is believed they died where the car was found at the car park of Ravensdale forest, a few seconds drive from the M1 motorway and about 5 minutes north of Dundalk.

Gardaí expect that either dental records or DNA will be needed to confirm their identities and last night repeated an appeal for anyone who has a missing friend or relative to make contact with them.

Garda Superintendent Gerry Curley, Dundalk, who is leading the investigation, issued a direct appeal to anyone who knew anything about the deaths or who was missing a friend or relative to make contact with them.

Gardaí have also been in contact with the PSNI as part of their enquires and are looking at a car that was found abandoned at Jonesboro, a short distance from Ravensdale.

The Coillte-owned forest at Ravensdale stretches to some 1,400 acres and the car park is normally used by people parking up before walking in the woods or along one of the three marked walking trails.

The alarm was raised around 10.50pm on Wednesday night by a passer-by who noticed the car on fire.

Chief fire officer at Dundalk, Eamon Woulfe, said the “car was well ablaze” and it was “a standard incident” until the fire-fighters “noticed what looked like a body in the front seat of the car and immediately rang the gardaí.”

After the gardaí arrived it emerged that in fact there was also a second body and they appeared to be on top of each other.

An incident room has been set up in Dundalk Garda Station and can be contacted on 042-9388470.