‘CRIMINAL PEDIGREE’ | 

One of Ireland’s most dangerous gangland criminals joins ‘Viper’ debt collection firm

Today at 06:30

One of the country’s most dangerous gangland criminals is working for veteran gangster Martin ‘The Viper’ Foley’s debt collection business.

The convicted armed robber, aged in his mid-40s, has over 20 previous convictions and was released from prison in October 2021.

He is currently based in Tallaght and has been spotted in Foley’s company as they carried out debt collection work.

In an exclusive image obtained by the Irish Independent, he can be seen with three other men, including crime figures Jonathan Gill and Foley, when they called to a property in the midlands recently.

Gardaí are now understood to be investigating an alleged incident of intimidation in relation to the visit.

The gangster was seen wearing a jacket which had “Viper Debt Recovery” printed on it, with Martin Foley wearing an identical jacket, when they called to the location.

The convicted armed robber has been at the centre of a number of garda investigations into serious crimes such as aggravated burglaries, firearms offences, bank robberies, organised thefts and major gangland activity.

“He is not a person you want landing at your door. He has a major criminal pedigree and uses violence,” a source said.

The man is a long-term associate of Foley, who used to visit him in a Munster town before he was locked up in 2014.

Since his release from prison, he has continued to come to the attention of gardaí and is facing serious criminal charges in a case that is not expected to be concluded until at least next year.

He was a key figure in a gang involved in a deadly feud with the “Infamous D22” drug gang, led by gangland figure Karl Breen, over a decade ago in west Dublin.

This feud led to a number of murders including the shooting dead of Breen’s right-hand-man, Pierce Reid, in July 2009 and numerous violent attacks.

Gill, from Dublin’s Malahide Road, was previously acquitted of tiger kidnapping charges. He has been advertising his services as a “mediator” and negotiator for the past two years while Foley has been involved in a debt collection business for two decades.

For a fee, Gill (44) is offering to help step in to resolve disputes between two parties which “may have reached a dangerous and potentially violent level”.

Last July, Foley (72) from Crumlin pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour during an incident in which a “heavy” for Viper Debt Recovery threatened to slit a man’s throat over a €4,000 debt.

He faces a maximum sentence of three months in prison when he appears again before Wexford Circuit Court in the coming weeks.

Foley has more than 40 convictions for offences including assault, robbery and possession of threatening weapons.

In 2020, he was ordered to pay €738,449 in tax, interest and penalties after losing a Supreme Court appeal against a Cab tax bill. He came to prominence in the 1980s when he was a member of the gang which was led by slain gangster Martin ‘The General’ Cahill.

It is also suspected that Gill has been the target of various assassination plots.