Cross-Border Operation Hailed A Success

Police chiefs on both sides of the border have hailed the success of a major international operation to defeat a drug and gun smuggling ring.

The PSNI Chief Constable has claimed a massive arsenal of weapons and ammunition destined for criminal gangs in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic was 'large enough to start a war'.

Sir Hugh Orde was speaking at the weekend after Dutch police confirmed they have arrested three men and a woman as part of an international investigation into an Irish crime gang.

Coming after earlier news that Irish police have arrested two more men in what has become a cross-Europe operation targeting organised crime, this is further good news for the police.

Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said the arrests had damaged a powerful European drugs trafficking network.

"We believe that this operation has made significant inroads into an international organised crime gang involved on a large scale in the importation of drugs and firearms into Ireland and the United Kingdom," he said.

The events began earlier this week, with one man arrested in Belfast and another in Dublin as part of the operation against a drugs and weapon smuggling network.

A total of 230 guns, 10,000 rounds of ammunition, and thousands of euro in cash and drugs have been seized.

Four men were arrested; one of them has since appeared in court charged with drug offences.

Two others have since been released without charge, and the fourth remains in garda custody.

In Holland, three men and a woman remain in custody in connection with the same investigation.

The PSNI have already seized 14 pistols and separately arrested a 34-year-old man in Belfast's Europa Hotel, while gardai seized 27 other firearms in the Republic and heroin worth about £3.25m at the same time as a 42-year-old man was detained in north Dublin by Garda officers.

But, on Wednesday last, another two men in their 30s were arrested in Birr, Co Offaly and Roscrea, County Tipperary by gardai.

The man arrested in Northern Ireland on Tuesday was also from the Republic.

He was arrested as part of the overall operation and the guns were uncovered at a separate location.

Detectives suspect a leading and well-known Irish criminal, presently serving a prison sentence in the Republic, may have been connected to the drugs and gun running operation.

Gardai said that a "mini-arsenal of weapons was taken off the streets" including four automatic handguns, silencers and pistols.

Gardai, the PSNI and Dutch police were all involved in the intelligence and surveillance-led operation which has run for several months.

The overall investigation has apparently been well planned and has been ongoing for some time and involved close liaison between An Gardai Siochana, the Dutch police service, the UK's HMRC and its Irish opposite number, the Irish Revenue Commissioners

Sir Hugh Orde also said that the international operation has foiled murders, kidnappings and other violent crimes.