Thirteen questioned over Artane murder

Gardaí are this evening questioning 13 men who were arrested this morning by gardaí investigating the gangland killing of Anthony Russell on Friday.

The 13, aged between 20 and 30 years, were held during a series of early-morning raids on over 12 houses in north Co Dublin and the north inner city.

Mr Russell (30) was gunned down as he sat drinking with friends in the Ardlea Inn, Artane, Dublin, on Friday night. His was the 10th gun murder of the year. Seven of the killings are linked to gangland crime.

More than 120 officers from Coolock station, other District Detective Units, the Special Detective unit and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation conducted the raids that began shortly after 6am.

During the searches, a number of computers and documents were seized. Small quantities of drugs were also seized. A Garda spokesman said the investigation was ongoing and “further significant developments” were expected.

The thirteen men are being held under Section 30 Offences Against the State Act at a number of Garda stations in the Northern and the North Central Garda Divisions, including Whitehall, Santry, Clontarf, Coolock, Mountjoy, Howth and Store Street. They can be held for questioning for a total of 72 hours.

The arrest operation is believed to have targetted members of feuding criminal gangs in Dublin's north inner city.

In the wake of Friday’s murder Fine Gael’s deputy leader Richard Bruton called on Taoiseach-designate Brian Cowen to introduce a Government strategy to tackle gangland violence.

“The State is losing the fight against gangland crime as these lethal criminals, fuelled by the booming drugs trade, ruthlessly dispense their own twisted form of justice,” Mr Bruton said.

“Gangland represents the single biggest threat to the State since the Civil War. Taoiseach-elect Brian Cowen has a duty to restore law and order to the worst affected areas, and to eradicate gangland crime from”, he added.

He said Mr Cowen should set up a Cabinet sub-committee on organised crime, co-ordinate activities between the various agencies, including the Garda, Criminal Assets Bureau, Customs and Excise, Revenue, drug taskforces and treatment agencies, and the social services.

He also called for 25-year minimum sentence for murder and the introduction of electronic tagging for suspects released on bail.

Gardaí believe Mr Russell was killed because his former criminal associates blamed him for the murder of another man in 2006.

Mr Russell, a father of two from Cromcastle Drive, Kilmore, died in Beaumont hospital at about 10pm following the gun attack at 8.30pm.

Two men wearing balaclavas walked into the pub and singled him out. At least one of the attackers was armed with a handgun and opened fire on the victim, wounding him several times in the upper body.

Mr Russell was due to be married next month. His partner and mother of his two children was in Belfast on Friday for her hen party when she was informed her fiancee had been shot dead. He had survived a gun attack at his home two years ago and was aware his life was in danger.

The dead man was a career criminal who was well known to gardaí in north Dublin and in the north inner city. He was a drug dealer and armed robber.

He was a close associate of Christy Griffin, who was jailed for life in April 2007 after being convicted of raping a young girl.