Updated 18.22
GARDAÍ HAVE ARRESTED a total of 16 men and one woman during raids across Dublin, Meath and Kildare today during Operation Ambience.
This evening, gardaí said they had arrested one man in his late teens this afternoon. This is in addition to 15 men and one woman arrested earlier today, who are all between 20 and 60 years of age.
This male is being detained under section 30 of the Offences against the State Act 1939, in a Dublin garda station.
Further searches were carried out this afternoon involving a house and an industrial unit, gardaí said.
Guns seized
Gardaí seized imitation guns, mobile phones, and computers in a major search operation carried out as part of the investigation into dissident republican activity at the funeral of Alan Ryan.
More than 200 gardaí searched 30 homes across Dublin, Kildare and Meath this morning as part of Operation Ambience, which is investigating the possession and discharge of guns at Real IRA member Alan Ryan’s funeral in Donaghmede.
The 16 people arrested are being held at various garda stations across Dublin and Meath under the Offences Against the State Act.
Gardaí set up an incident room at Clontarf garda station following reports of dissident activity at the funeral in north Dublin.
Ryan was shot dead in Clongriffin in Dublin 13 on Monday 3 September in a gangland-style attack. A number of shots were fired into the air as his coffin, which was draped in a tricolour, was removed from his house to a nearby church at his funeral on Saturday.
Some mourners attending the funeral wore scarves to cover their faces and paramilitary-style clothing.
The republican-style burial was condemned by Justice Minister Alan Shatter who described the scenes as “reprehensible and absolutely unacceptable”.
Gardaí say the investigation into events at the funeral is ongoing. In a statement this afternoon, Gardaí said they are “fully committed to maintaining law” and “resolute in their determination to fully investigate any breaches of the criminal law that occurred” at the funeral.
- Additional reporting Aoife Barry
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