‘FOOT SOLDIER’ 

Crumlin thug Lee Gibson, 20, identified by Criminal Assets Bureau as close associate of Kinahan lieutenant Liam Byrne

In their submissions to the High Court, CAB claimed Gibson was one 20 key associates of Byrne’s €3million criminal empire

• 8:00, 22 Jul 2018
• Updated: 12:04, 22 Jul 2018

THE young thug below was a pal of slain Regency Hotel gangster David Byrne, and we today reveal he is a “foot soldier” for the Kinahan cartel.

Lee Gibson, 20, from Crumlin, south Dublin, was identified by the Criminal Assets Bureau under ‘Operation Lamp’ as a close associate of Kinahan lieutenant Liam Byrne, 37.

Investigators established Gibson’s links to Byrne when they targeted assets linked to the gang, including four homes worth €2,002,914, 29 high-end vehicles worth €544,115, six designer watches worth €83,750 and two rings valued at €29,970. Also seized was a bank account with €36,760 and another €34,840 in cash.

As part of their ­investigations into Byrne’s garage LS Active, detectives ­identified how Gibson was helping to run the dodgy car sales company before it closed after CAB swooped.

In their submissions to the High Court, CAB claimed Gibson was one 20 key associates of Byrne’s €3million criminal empire.

They claimed: “Lee ­Gibson is a foot soldier for Liam Byrne.

“He is involved in the day-to-day business of the organised crime group (OCG) and through the investigation into the business it has been established that he has been involved in the importation and registration of several vehicles.

“Lee Gibson travels to the UK and Spain at the behest of this OCG and has been stopped in the company of senior members of this OCG on a regular basis.”

A source added: “Gibson is well in with Liam Byrne and his associates and is regarded as someone they can trust.”