GUN PROBE | 

Mr Flashy rival arrested ‘trying to flee’ after shots fired in Finglas, Dublin

The arrested criminal is a notorious 34-year-old gangland criminal who has been in a dispute with the ‘Mr Flashy’ drugs gang.

Yesterday at 19:13

Gardaí arrested a well-known gangster when they responded to reports of shots being fired in Finglas yesterday afternoon.

The incident unfolded at around 4.30pm in the Barry Drive area of the north Dublin suburb.

The arrested criminal is a notorious 34-year-old gangland criminal who has been in a dispute with the ‘Mr Flashy’ drugs gang.

Sources say that he was “lying in wait” for a still unidentified criminal rival when the shot was fired.

It is understood that he tried to flee the scene on foot after local garda units arrived but he was quickly arrested.

It is understood that he had dumped the weapon before gardaí caught up with him and gardaí said this evening that no firearm has been recovered as part of their investigations.

The arrested 34-year-old has been in involved in organised crime since he was a teenage juvenile and has previously served a jail sentence for firearms offences. He was handed a suspended sentence for serious drug offences at Dublin Circuit Court over a decade ago.

He has been the victim of gun violence himself linked to his criminal activity and was shot a number of times when he was a teenager.

“In recent times this individual has become a bigger player in the drugs scene in Finglas and his arrest is considered significant,” a source said.

“It was like a scene out of a western movie. This lad was lying in wait for someone whose identity has not yet been determined but what is known is the 34-year-old is involved in a number of disputes with other local criminals,” the source added.

“Gardaí have arrested a man aged following an incident in Finglas yesterday afternoon, Monday 10th July 2023,” a garda spokesman said when contacted by sundayworld.com.

“At approximately 4:30pm gardaí responded to reports of an alleged firearm incident.

“Gardaí arrested a man aged in his 30s. He was conveyed to a garda station in North County Dublin where he is currently detained under Section 30 of the Criminal Justice Act.

“Enquiries are ongoing,” he added.

The deadly Finglas feud which has to one murder and numerous violent incidents including assassination attempts has calmed down in recent months.

It is not clear whether yesterday’s firearms incident is linked to this.

The feud claimed the life of James Whelan who was shot dead on Deanstown Avenue in Finglas in April of last year.

Whelan was on the opposite side of the feud to Mr Flashy’s crew but like a number of people involved in the feud was once pals with members of the rival gang.