Gardaí may have seized AK47s from Regency Hotel attack

Gardaí have seized a number of AK47 firearms believed to have been used in the gun attack in a Dublin hotel that claimed the life of David Byrne last month.

The guns were found during a Garda operation in Slane, Co Meath, in a major breakthrough in the investigation into the killing.

It is understood members of the Special Detective Unit found the firearms in a car.

The driver of the car was arrested and has been taken into custody for questioning under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

The guns are believed to be those used by a group of five armed men who opened fire at a boxing tournament weigh-in in the Regency Hotel, Drumcondra, north Dublin, on Friday, February 5th.

David Byrne, a 33-year-old father-of-one from Raleigh Square, Crumlin, was killed in the attack.

Two other men were wounded in the attack but survived.

Three of the raiders were armed with AK47s and dressed in mock Garda uniforms.

Two other men were armed with handguns.

The Regency attack is being treated as revenge for the murder of Gary Hutch (34), from Dublin's north inner city.

Gary Hutch was shot dead near Marbella, Spain, last September.

He is said to have fallen foul of the international drugs gang based in Spain and led by Dubliner Christy Kinahan.

Hutch’s associates are the chief suspects for the attack at the Regency Hotel, which targeted members of the Kinahan gang, including David Byrne.

Three days after the hotel attack, Eddie Hutch, a 58-year-old taxi driver, was shot dead at his home on Poplar Row, Dublin 1.

He was the uncle of Gary Hutch and brother of Gerry Hutch, also known as the Monk.

Gardaí believe Eddie Hutch was murdered by members of the Kinahan gang in revenge for the killing of their associate.

Gardaí are now concerned that the feud between the Kinahan gang and associates of Gary Hutch will continue and that there is significant potential for further bloodshed.

A number of men and women on both sides of the gang feud have been formally warned by gardaí that their lives are in danger.

Garda searches

On Wednesday, as part of the investigation into David Byrne's associates in Dublin, a team of about 60 Garda members carried out searches at 19 premises across Dublin, spearheaded by the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab).

It is probing the assets of members of the Kinahan gang in Dublin, specifically the use of a car garage to launder the proceeds of the gang’s drug dealing.

Some 29 vehicles were seized, along with six motorbikes, 10 Rolex and Breitling watches and about €100,000 in cash.

Data and documents were also seized from the offices of six accountancy firms and solicitors’ offices.