GANG KILLINGS ON THE INCREASE

The murder of two young Ballyfermot men has rekindled concern at the
level of drugs and gang-related violence in the State, writes Jim
Cusack, Security Correspondent

As many as 11 people have died because of the activities of criminal
gangs in the State since the start of last year, and in about
two-thirds of the cases charges have still to be brought. This is out
of an overall total of about 48 killings.

Of the other violent deaths, about 30 can be defined as either
"domestic" incidents, where the victim was related to the perpetrator,
or brawls, where the victims died in violent incidents where drink or
drugs were involved.

In seven cases the victims were murdered by people unknown to them or
who remain unidentified. Gangland killings have been increasing in the
past year after a period of three or four years when this phenomenon
had largely disappeared.

Gardai attribute this to the emergence of a number of criminal gangs,
particularly in Dublin and Limerick. In Dublin there has been a
noticeable upsurge in crimes such as armed robbery. There were about
140 such robberies in the city in the past year, a marked increase on
the previous two years but still nothing like the number of such
crimes in the 1970s and 1980s.

According to Garda sources, armed violence in the city can largely be
attributed to the activities of a small number of criminal families or
gangs.

A number of the most serious robberies have been carried out by gangs
whose members are currently on bail on serious charges and are
awaiting trial. According to Dublin detectives some of these gangs
have decided they will raise large amounts of money before being
returned for trial and probably imprisoned.

The Garda sources say between 200 and 300 criminals are currently on
bail, and a considerable proportion of them are actively involved in
crimes such as robbery or drug-dealing.

Outside Dublin gardai are particularly worried about the activities of
two criminal gangs, one from Limerick and the other from Cork city.

The Limerick gang includes a number of members who are on bail
awaiting trial on very serious charges. The Limerick gang members are
believed to be determined to amass large sums of money for their
families and have been implicated in a large number of armed robberies
in the west, including the raid last November on Balkoe's Jewellers in
Galway in which more than pounds 60,000 worth of jewellery and cash
was taken.

The Cork gang has been travelling across the State carrying out raids
as far afield as Mayo and Sligo. This gang, all members of one
extended family, includes several members who are on bail on serious
charges.

Again, local gardai say they appear intent on amassing a large amount
of money before going to prison. Detectives investigating their crimes
are understood to have some 40 books of evidence prepared in relation
to outstanding court proceedings.

Most of the gangland murders tend to occur in the city, and in the
majority of cases no one has been charged. i about the gang's
activities. Members of the gang are facing serious charges, but are at
liberty on bail.

On March 31st last, a Tallaght man, Thomas Reilly, was shot dead by
members of a local drugs gang.

A Dundalk man, Richard McFerran, was shot dead on August 15th by
members of a cross-Border criminal gang with interests from smuggling
to drugs.

Martin Nolan (34), ead Kelly (21), a Senior gardai in Dublin said
yesterday the twin murders of Patrick Murray (19) and Darren Carey
(20) may not have been an entirely calculated act. Information
reaching the Garda suggests Carey and another man might have abducted
Murray with the intention of punishing him for having lost a
consignment of heroin seized at Dublin Airport on December 3rd.

It is believed the intention was to beat and possibly shoot and injure
Murray, who was forced to strip naked. However, it appears that in the
course of a struggle Murray was shot dead and Carey panicked.

It is believed the man who shot Murray then turned the shotgun on
Carey and killed him so he could not be a witness to the killing. He
then brought both bodies to Kearneystown Bridge in Co Dublin and
dumped them in the Grand Canal some time over the New Year.

A Ballyfermot man in his mid 20s is being sought for questioning about
the murders.