Ahern: 'No resources spared' in Geoghegan probe

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has warned the murderers of Shane Geoghegan that "no resources will be spared in hunting (them) down and bringing (them) to justice".

The Minister said he would examine all suggestions in tackling the criminals, but warned: "It does no service to anyone to pretend that there is some magic solution to this kind of problem which simply requires some action on the part of the Government".

He added that many lines of inquiry were being followed in the Shane Geoghegan case.

Minister Ahern said that, nationally, a garda operation to target organised crime had seen some success in the last year.

In the period up to November 2 this year Operation Anvil resulted in more than 120 arrests for murder; 1,192 firearms were seized; there were 59,235 drug searches; 21,351 vehicles were seized; 102,000 checkpoints carried out and €31.6m. worth of property recovered. Outside Dublin 23,346 arrests were made and 983 firearms seized.

The budget for Operation Anvil has been increased from €20m in 2008 to €21m in 2009.