GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING THE brutal attack on a Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) executive earlier this week are carrying out further searches today.

Kevin Lunney – the company’s director and chief operation officer – was abducted from his car near his home in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh at around 6.40pm on Tuesday.

He was seriously assaulted before being left at the side of the road at Drumcoughill, Cornafean, Co Cavan some time before 9pm.

Lunney sustained a range of serious injuries, described as ‘life-changing’ by the PSNI, during the ordeal.

Gardaí carried out a number of searches in the Cavan area in the wake of the attack.

Deputy Commissioner John Twomey this week said that “every effort to bring these violent criminals to justice” is being made, adding that they “need the support of the local community in order to do so”.

In a statement this morning, gardaí said:

“Gardaí in Cavan are carrying out further a search as part of the investigation into the assault of Kevin Lunney on Tuesday 17th September.

“Local gardaí are being assisted by the Cavan Monaghan Divisional Search unit and the Technical Bureau from Garda Headquarters.”

A statement issued today on behalf of the staff at QIH said:

We the staff of QIH want to express our unequivocal support for Kevin and his family and wish him a full and speedy recovery from the horrific injuries that have been inflicted on him.

QIH employs over 800 people.

They added that “this attack was not only an attack on Kevin, but on the entire staff and community”.

Anyone who has any information on the attack or other criminal activities which have taken place in the Fermanagh/Cavan border area in recent years can contact Cavan Garda Station on 049 436 8800, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.

The PSNI can also be contacted at 101, quoting reference number 1748 of 17/09/19.

With reporting by Órla Ryan and Hayley Halpin