Five held after anti-gang raids targeting Hutch murder attempt suspects

Gardaí investigating an attempt to kill a member of the Hutch family have made another wave of arrests, bringing to nine the number of suspects detained so far.

Detectives believe a number of gunmen were on their way to kill Patsy Hutch (58) in Dublin's north inner city when they were intercepted.

Those involved in the murder attempt were working for the Kinahan cartel and were intent on murdering Mr Hutch, who is not a criminal, as part of the Kinahan-Hutch feud.

On Saturday, March 10th, 2018, at about 8am three men were arrested during a planned Garda operation on Gardiner Street in Dublin’s north inner city, less than 1km away from Patsy Hutch’s home. A fourth suspect was detained in a follow-up operation.

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Two submachine guns, one revolver, two semi-automatic pistols, a silencer and ammunition were also seized as part of the operation, and nine properties were searched at the time.

In the past 48 hours a further five men have been arrested; three on Wednesday and two on Thursday morning. The suspects are all Dubliners in their 20s and 30s.

While some have long been known for their links to the Kinahan cartel, they are not regarded by the Garda as senior gang figures.

The men detained have addresses in Dublin's north inner city as well as Finglas and Tallaght in north and west Dublin.

They were being detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act and can be held for up to seven days without charge.

Family home

The Hutch family home is less than 1km away from the spot where the men with the firearms were intercepted on the day of the murder attempt last year. The house in Dublin 1 has been monitored by the Garda since 2016. Gardaí on foot are stationed around the street leading into the property, which is in a small council estate.

And gardaí in vehicles carry out near constant patrols on the streets close to the house because Mr Hutch is regarded as a prime target for the Kinahan cartel.

He is the brother of veteran armed robber Gerry Hutch (56), who is also known as 'The Monk'. Patsy Hutch's son Gary Hutch was aged 34 years when he was shot dead by the Kinahan cartel in Spain in September, 2015.

Another son, Patrick, recently walked free from the Special Criminal Court after his trial for the murder of David Byrne (32), Crumlin, collapsed.

Byrne was shot dead in a group attack on a boxing tournament weigh-in at the Regency Hotel, north Dublin, in February, 2016, in a shooting regarded as revenge for Gary Hutch's murder six months earlier.

However, Patrick Hutch (25), denied the murder. And when a senior officer who had worked on the investigation took his own life during the trial, it created difficulties that ultimately led to the collapse of the trial.

Patsy Hutch whisked his son away from the court on the back of a motorbike when he was freed last month and he has not been seen in Dublin since.

Mr Hutch and his brother and son are regarded as the three primary targets of the Kinahan cartel and the Dublin-based group of criminals that work for the Kinahans. To date 19 people have been murdered since the feud began 3½ years ago.

The gun feud has been met with a very significant Garda operation to combat the violence. And some of the murders have resulted in murder convictions. However, the dispute shows no signs of abating.