A well-known criminal from Finglas, Dublin, involved in large scale drug dealing and gun feuding, was among six men arrested after a high speed Garda pursuit in Dublin late on Thursday.
More than 20 Garda cars were involved in the chase on the northside of the city and the suspects crashed into two patrol cars before being brought to a stop.
However, while it was suspected there may be guns or drugs in the vehicle, nothing was found during a search of the car when it was eventually halted.
The driver and his passengers were arrested at the scene with the driver due to appear in court on Friday in relation to the incident.
The other five men, including the well-known gangland figure from Finglas aged in his early 20s, were questioned for a period in the early hours of Friday but have since been released.
One was a teenager while the others are aged in their early 20s. The driver of the car is in his 30s and well known to gardaí since his teenager years.
Gardaí said the operation was an example of the readiness of the force to intervene robustly when any serious criminality or security risks arise despite the Covid-19 crisis.
Reckless
Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy commended the gardaí who dealt with what he described as a "reckless and dangerous" event.
"This incident clearly demonstrates there are a minority in our society who have no regard for public safety on our roads but also have no regard for public health during this Covid-19 emergency," he said. "The message from An Garda Síochána is that we are fully resourced and will take all proportionate and legal action to protect the public health of our communities at this time."
The incident began at about 9pm when gardaí on patrol in Finglas spotted a car being driven dangerously and at speed in the Cardiffsbridge Road area.
Officers attempted to the stop the car but the driver refused to cooperate and sped away. A pursuit then ensued for a prolonged period across north and west Dublin into Blanchardstown before concluding back in Finglas.
The suspects’ vehicle was eventually forced to a stop in the Abbotstown Avenue area of Finglas and the arrested men were taken to Blanchardstown Garda station.
“No injuries to Garda members of members of the public have been reported,” a Garda spokesman said in a statement, which added that an investigation was ongoing into the circumstances “behind this incident of dangerous driving”.
The large scale pursuit ensued because of the identity of the men in the vehicle, in particular the gangland figure from Finglas in his early 20s.
He is aligned to the Kinahan cartel and is close associates with a number of men who have been involved in gun feuds in Finglas and Coolock. Five men were shot dead as part of the Coolock dispute last year.
