Three held in Dublin crime probe

Three men are being held in Dublin after raids targeting criminal and dissident republican activity.

The Garda special detective unit and officers from north Dublin arrested the men during a number of early morning searches in the city.

The three, aged 20, 29 and 31, were taken from private houses in Donaghmede, Tallaght and the city centre.

They are being detained at Store Street, Bridewell and Clontarf Garda stations under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

The suspects can be questioned for up to 24 hours.

Gardaí are closely monitoring dissident republicans in the run-up to next week’s historic visit to Ireland by the Queen – the first by a reigning British monarch.

Last month, a number of arrests were made by detectives investigating a long-running turf war between the so-called Real IRA and drugs gangs.

The rivals are locked in a battle for supremacy in a protection racket targeting pubs and clubs in the capital.