GARDAÍ CARRIED OUT a number of searches yesterday as part of an investigation into organised crime and the murder of gangland hitman Robbie Lawlor. 

Several premises were raided yesterday, including the home of one of the Drogheda feud’s gang leaders. Lawlor is suspected of trying to kill this man in a gun attack in 2018 but failed. 

Lawlor was murdered in west Belfast in April of this year. Gardaí believe that he had been sent up North on a job but was double-crossed. The chief suspects in that murder are two Limerick criminals who have been involved in organised crime for over a decade.

Lawlor is suspected of killing at least six people, including teenager Keane Mulready-Woods, whose remains were discovered in a holdall bag in Coolock. Gardaí believe Lawlor’s murder was payback for both the teen’s killing as well as the attempted murder of one of the gang’s leaders.

Officers arrested two men in Drogheda yesterday. During search operations, a “significant” amount of electronic devices, SIM cards and other important documents were seized, well placed sources told TheJournal.ie.

The link between the Limerick gangs and the Drogheda gang was established shortly after the murder when senior members of the gang were spotted at a services station on the M7 motorway where it is suspected the €50K in cash was handed over to two women just two days after Lawlor was murdered. 

Sources described how there is a wealth of “crystal clear” CCTV showing the handover happening. 

Those two women were arrested and the cash was seized. However, no charges have yet been brought.

Gardaí have been working on this investigation since April and a number of intelligence-based operations have been conducted over the last five months, including surveillance of well-known targets. 

Sources told this publication that it appeared the Drogheda gang boss had “let his guard down” before gardaí struck yesterday morning.