A SHOPKEEPER was recovering last night after being abducted at gunpoint by four masked men from a newsagents he runs in a north Dublin housing estate.
The victim was held hostage for more than three hours, during which time a ransom was demanded from his family, before he turned up safe in the west of the city. Gardaí believe those responsible are gangland criminals and are investigating if the incident is linked to the murder of gangland figure JP Joyce last week.
The remains of the 30-year-old drug dealer from Coolock were found in a ditch near Dublin airport last Saturday.
The victim of yesterday’s abduction, who is in his 50s, was working in his Glin Stores newsagents shop on Glin Road, Bonnybrook, Coolock, when a group of men entered the premises just before 5pm.
The men, at least one of whom had a handgun, threatened the shopkeeper at gunpoint, forcing him out of his shop and into a waiting 4X4 vehicle which was then driven away.
The victim’s family were contacted by the gang, and were informed he was being held hostage. The Irish Times understands a ransom was demanded from the family, who were told the hostage would be shot unless the money was paid.
Then unexpectedly at around 8.30pm the shopkeeper knocked on the door of a house in the Woodford housing estate in Clondalkin, made himself known to the occupants and raised the alarm by contacting gardaí.
Sources said the victim was in shock last night.
One line of inquiry is that the shopkeeper was abducted because a man with whom he is associated was a friend of JP Joyce.
Gardaí believe Joyce owed money to drug dealers and are investigating if the group behind yesterday’s abduction believed by holding the shopkeeper for ransom they could extort the money from Joyce’s associates.