It’s being investigated if the men were hired to target an associate of gun victim Cormac Berkely
The Garda’s armed tactical unit and intelligence section were also involved in the major operation which resulted in two men armed with a handgun being arrested in Clondalkin on Tuesday night.
Gardaí believed a murder bid was imminent and in a follow-up operation some 18 searches were carried out including two in Portlaoise maximum security prison yesterday.
The Sunday World has now learned that:
– The prison cell of dangerous mobster Charles McClean who is serving 20 years in jail has been searched as part of the investigation.
– It’s being investigated if the hit team planned to murder an associate of drug dealer Cormac Berkely (37) who was himself shot dead in Clondalkin in 2022.
– Masks, passports, and cocaine have been seized from the suspected hit team who are from different parts of Dublin.
Several mobile phones have also bee seized as part of the inquiry being led by the Garda National Drugs and Organized Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) who are now attempting to identify who was “pulling the strings” of the murder bid.
As part of the intelligence operation members of the heavily armed Emergency Response Unit (ERU) intercepted a car on Rowlagh Avenue in Clondalkin shortly after 8pm on Tuesday night and recovered a semi-automatic Glock pistol and ammunition.
The two men in the car were detained and arrested on suspicion of facilitating the activities of an organised crime gang.
One of the men is aged in his mid-30s and is from the Clondalkin area, while the second male is aged in his mid-40s and from the Tallaght area.
Masks and a petrol cannister were also recovered from the car which has been removed for technical examination while a quantity of cocaine has also been seized.
It’s being investigated if the men were hired to target an associate of Cormac Berkely, the 37-year-old who was shot dead outside his home in Harelawn Park in December 2022.
Cormac Berkeley
A source said: “This man has previously been warned of a threat to his life and this is one line of inquiry.
“It is a significant investigation involving different criminal elements suspected of working in concert to arrange the murder of another man, and gardaí will also try to establish who was pulling the strings in this conspiracy”.
Gardaí said that in a follow up operation 18 locations in the Dublin area were searched along with two cells at Portlaoise Prison, with over 300 gardaí involved in the operations.
The Sunday World understands that one cell searched was that of Charles McClean (36) who is originally from St Marks Grove in Clondalkin.
McClean is currently serving a total of 20 years imprisonment for his role in three gangland shootings and has been in custody for several years.
This includes a conviction for impeding the apprehension or prosecution of the person involved in the murder of psychopathic criminal Mark ‘The Guinea Pig’ Desmond in December 2016.
McClean has previously also admitted to conspiring to murder Wayne Whelan in Lucan in September 2019.
Wayne Whelan in his hospital bed after the first attempt on his life
Whelan, a drug dealer, survived that shooting but was murdered several months later.
Charles McClean is also serving jail time for facilitating a criminal organisation in murdering innocent father of five Thomas McCarthy (55) in Ballyfermot in July 2020.
It’s understood that a number of items were seized from McClean’s jail cell which will now be analysed as part of the investigation.
A garda spokesperson said that this week’s operating involved the GNDOCB and the Garda National Crime and Security Intelligence Service as well as regular unit members from the Dublin Metropolitan Region.
Speaking following the operation, Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis, head of Organised & Serious Crime stated:
“The intervention by members of An Garda Síochána in West Dublin on the evening of 17th December 2024 has again resulted in the removal of a lethal firearm and ammunition from circulation.
“An Garda Síochána believes the firearm was intended for use in the commission of murder(s). I wish to acknowledge the members of An Garda Síochána involved in the operation for their professionalism in bringing this operation to a successful conclusion.
“An Garda Síochána will continue to prioritise targeting those that are the most violent and cause the most harm in communities”.
The firearm and ammunition seized will be forwarded to the Ballistics section of the Garda Technical Bureau to undergo analysis and investigations.
The two men are being detained under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 and can be held for a period of up to seven days.
An Irish Prison Service spokesman said: “The Irish Prison Service does not comment on individual prisoners or specific operational or security matters.
“The Irish Prison Service continues to have high level engagement and the sharing of intelligence with An Garda Síochána on a regular basis which is resulting in the seizure of contraband, arrests and significant disruption to organised crime.”
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