SLAIN DRUG LORD'S LEGACY OF CRIME IS UNCOVERED

THE bizarre slaying of criminal drug lord Paddy Farrell, by his distraught
lover, has led Garda and RUC detectives into a murky multi million pound
drug and money laundering operation on both sides of the border.

Farrell, 49, was well known to police on both sides of the Irish sea before
he was shot to death by his long time mistress Lorraine Farrell, 29, on
September 10, 1997. After she shot the drug dealer she turned the double
barrel shotgun on herself.

Farrell was estimated to be worth close to Irish-pounds 40 million when he
died and his pounds 100,000 Mercedes car was parked outside the terraced
house in Drogheda where he was killed.

Gardai and the RUC have worked hand in hand in uncovering the underworld
business in which Farrell was involved and yesterday morning around 250
officers from both forces swooped on 25 separate premises and arrested eight
people.

It was the first public manifestation of an investigation lasting over two
years which has uncovered a massive money laundering operation which is
estimated to have processed over Irish pounds 70 million in cash.

An RUC spokesman said a vast quantity of documents were seized.

"This three year ongoing investigation resulted in the searches of 25
premises which included houses, business premises, solicitors' and
accountants' offices in both jurisdictions," the spokesman said.

Officers from the Garda's Criminal Assets Bureau and Garda National
Detective Unit along with the RUC Financial Investigation Unit and HM
Customs and Excise were involved in the operation.

Farrell was one of the central figures in an intricate money laundering,
drug trafficking and illegal banking operation. Before his sudden death he
was making plans to leave the country and go to the US.

Mistress Lorraine Farrell was not included in these plans and this is
understood to be the reason she shot her lover. It seems she was determined
that if she could not have Farrell then no one else would.

Farrell had convictions for a number of offences under different aliases
like Patrick Callan and Frances P. Farrell. His 13 convictions were mostly
for assault, theft, resisting arrest and handling stolen goods. Farrell
moved in on the Dublin drug scene after the assassination of journalist
Veronica Guerin resulted in the flight of members of the drug gang suspected
of involvement in the murder.

Farrell led a charmed life up to his bizarre death and because he supplied
cash, safe houses and other resources to the IRA they left the Armagh man alone.

The benefactors of his criminal legacy are now finding that their luck is
running out too.