Gardaí step up armed patrols as fears mount Dublin suburb gang feud ‘will explode’

Gun and petrol bomb attacks have already been linked to the dispute

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Gardaí have stepped up armed patrols in a Dublin suburb amid fears that a feud which has seen a machine pistol attack and petrol bombings will escalate further.

There are serious concerns that the dispute between two gangs in south Dublin will “explode” following several violent incidents in recent weeks.

Centrally linked to the dispute are two brothers from the Dublin 12 area who are heavily involved in the drug trade, and a group of local criminals from the Bluebell area.

So far, two gun attacks have been reported that are linked to the dispute along with assaults and petrol bomb attacks.

In the past week, local gardaí have been ordered to carry out increased patrols and checkpoints in the area while the Armed Support Unit (ASU) is also patrolling the area.

One source told the Irish Independent: “There has been a serious escalation in this dispute. It started as a personal row after a relationship ended, which has just grown and now involves volatile criminals on both sides.“Those involved have access to serious firepower and things will only get worse if it continues.”

A number of young women have also been harassed and subjected to intimidation as part of the dispute.

In an incident earlier this month, a property in the Bluebell area was smashed up while a car in the driveway was also targeted. A number of local criminals later approached the innocent family and are suspected of offering to provide security at the property to protect it from further attacks.

It is understood that in one recent incident since then, the criminals had prepared several petrol bombs in the house and threw one at an individual who had made an effort to target the home.single shot was fired through the front window of a house in Drimnagh while young children were inside at around 2am on May 17.

The following night around a dozen shots were fired into an innocent family’s home in Bluebell from a suspected machine pistol and no injuries were reported. Gardaí recovered a Scorpion machine pistol the following day which they believe was used in the shooting.

Detectives do not believe the feuding is directly related to the murder of Joshua Itseli (20) who was shot dead in Drimnagh on May 6.

However, there are believed to be individuals interlinked between Mr Itseli’s associates and those involved in the feuding.

It was previously revealed the violent criminal suspected of accidentally shooting Mr Itseli dead with an AR-15 has fled to England.

The suspect and two close associates are understood to have travelled to Liverpool in recent weeks in an effort to avoid the pressure of the murder investigation.

The young criminal was arrested close to the scene at the junction of Curlew Road and Knocknarea Road and investigators are continuing to build a case against the suspect.

Detectives believe Mr Itseli and his associates were on their way to carry out a pipe bomb attack when they were intercepted by rival criminals.