Drugs and guns seized in Garda raids in Limerick

Two members of Limerick's biggest armed drugs gang were in Garda custody last night after a series of raids across the city resulted in one of the biggest single seizures of firearms in the State in recent years.

A search team of 50 uniformed gardaí and detectives raided 10 premises.

It found a cocaine-processing plant in one city-centre apartment. The search team also found quantities of cocaine and what they believe to be heroin, as well as seven firearms, including Glock semi-automatic pistols and semi-automatic machine guns.

Forensic testing of the weapons will begin today in an effort to determine if they have been used in any gangland murders in Limerick in recent years.

The raids in the city followed the seizure in Dublin on Saturday of five Glock pistols and heroin with a street value of €8 million.

The two men in custody last night are in their 20s and 30s and are well known to gardaí.

Senior Garda sources in the city have told The Irish Times they believe the men have been centrally involved in the gang which was once led by murdered Limerick crime boss Kieran Keane.

Since Keane's murder three years ago, this group has been led by a criminal based on the northside of Limerick city.

"We would see this as a very significant breakthrough," said one senior Garda source.

One Glock semi-automatic pistol and a small quantity of cocaine were found at one apartment, where one of those being held last night was arrested.

At a second city-centre apartment, gardaí discovered larger quantities of cocaine and what they believe to be heroin. The value of the haul was unknown last night. The second man was arrested at that apartment.

At the same location, gardaí found a compressor for packing cocaine as well as weighing scales and other drugs paraphernalia.

They also found another Glock semi-automatic pistol, a Beretta semi-automatic pistol and two machine pistols.

Two further unidentified firearms were found at the same location.

Yesterday's co-ordinated raids, which began at 4pm and were continuing last night, were the culmination of a major two-month Garda operation in Limerick city against armed gangs who have been distributing drugs throughout Munster.

Members of the National Surveillance Unit, which is normally based in Dublin, were drafted in to covertly gather intelligence on the targets of the investigation.

These were made available under the recent extension of Operation Anvil, which has targeted organised gangs in Dublin for the last 12 months.

The two men were being held at Roxboro and Henry Street Garda stations in the city.