Gardaí foil murder attempt on Hutch family member in Gorey

Gardaí believe they have foiled another attempt to murder a member of the Hutch family, the second suspected effort in less than a week.

Two men were arrested at 1am on Thursday in north Co Wexford with two guns, ammunition and three vehicles seized during the operation.

Gardaí moved in on a number of cars in a field in the Millands area of Gorey ahead of what they suspect would have been an attack linked to the Kinahan-Hutch feud, in which 14 people have been killed.

One man was arrested in a VW Golf, in which a Glock semi-automatic pistol and a Webley revolver were found. A second man was pursued across fields before being found hiding in another car nearby.

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Both men are being questioned under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

They are originally from the Sheriff Street and Docklands areas of Dublin’s north inner city. While that area is where the Hutch family and their associates are based, the arrested men are aligned to the Kinahan gang.

The suspected target of the attack lives in the Gorey area. An effort was made to target the same man two years ago when he was on a family holiday in Majorca, Spain.

However, his attackers murdered another man - Dublin council worker Trevor O’Neill - in a case of mistaken identity. Mr O’Neil had no involvement whatsoever in the Kinahan-Hutch feud or in any form of crime.

Early last Saturday, three people were arrested and guns were seized after a van was stopped on Gardiner Street in Dublin 1. It is believed the men were planning to attack Patsy Hutch, a brother of Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch. A number of properties were searched afterwards and other firearms were seized and a fourth person was arrested.

This morning's operation involved detectives from Enniscorthy assisted by Armed Support Units from the south eastern region and Special Crime Operations officers.

The arrested men were under surveillance with sources saying the guns seized had been prepared for the attack and at least one of the vehicles had been stolen and fitted with cloned registration plates.

The arrested men are aged 25 and 27 years. The younger man has a long history of violent crime and has more than 100 convictions.

The 27-year-old suspect has previously been involved in the Sheriff Street feud - a violent dispute between two factions in Dublin’s north inner city. It broke out when a major criminal gang based in Sheriff Street and the surrounding area split into two rival factions, but has dissipated in recent years after a series of fatal shootings.

The 27-year-old was previously arrested for his role in an attempt to carry out a gun murder linked to that feud some years ago. He has spent most of his adult life in jail including a lengthy prison sentence for firearms offences.

Following the arrests in Co Wexford a number of follow-up searches, including in Dublin, were carried out.