Record numbers of guns & drugs seized

Fyr.Fytr

Record numbers of guns & drugs seized
Wednesday, 2 July 2008 17:57
The Garda Commissioner has said the Gardaí are seizing more guns and drugs than ever before.

Fachtna Murphy said the Gardaí will continue the current policing policy of being 'in the faces' of serious criminals.

Over 400 firearms have been seized so far this year, more than two a day.

AdvertisementThere has been a 75% rise in the amount of heroin seized. Cocaine seizures have also increased.

The Commissioner said the gardaí are actively targeting serious criminals involved in the ongoing feud in Drimnagh in Dublin and that a large number of serious incidents have been prevented.

He said he was particularly concerned not just about the use of grenades and the fact that relatives of suspected gangland criminals were being targeted, but also about younger people getting involved in criminality.


Mr Murphy made his remarks at the launch of the expanded garda bike unit at Dublin's Store Street Garda Station.


Speaking at the same event, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said he could not rule out cutbacks in the Garda Síochána budget.

Mr Murphy said he was not going to let budgetary issues prevent him from providing a proper policing service for the country.

Some €33m has already been spent on overtime for the first three months of this year, but the Commissioner said that the funding for Operation Anvil which targets organised crime was ring fenced.

Eru

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Over 400 firearms have been seized so far this year, more than two a day.

Tiny percentage of whats out there. Guns are as cheap as chips in a lot of countries now and easier to get into Ireland than a DVD from Amazon!

Fyr.Fytr

Ah use play free delivery

I know regarding drugs, the widely accecpted percentage is seizures accout for 10% of what is on the streets, so go figure seizures rise so do the numbers hitting the streets

mc-panda

I would imagine there are a lot of weapons in Ireland that owe their presence to "The Troubles". If I'm anyway close to correct, then that's a scary concept.

Also, with all the coast line we have, it wouldn't be very difficult to get weapons in.

TheNog

and only one vessel patrolling that coastline too

ojewriej

Apparently it's a custom to throw in few weapons with every bigger drug shipment. And if the 10% figure is right (and it tends to be all over the world), it means quite a lot of guns all right.

Fyr.Fytr

TheNog wrote: »

and only one vessel patrolling that coastline too

Yes an unarmed customs vessel that cant stop others without armed back up from the navy, i kid you not

TheNog

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Yes an unarmed customs vessel that cant stop others without armed back up from the navy, i kid you not

wonder if customs have ever debated about being armed???

if we (uniformed gardai) were going after a sizable amount of drugs, as customs would, we would always have armed backup with us

Gavin

No mention of any event run by 'those who must not be named' is allowed. It's a bit bizarre alright.

Shield

As the Verb said, you can't even mention places associated with the unmentionables at this time.

TheNog

Verb wrote: »

No mention of any event run by 'those who must not be named' is allowed. It's a bit bizarre alright.

psni wrote: »

As the Verb said, you can't even mention places associated with the unmentionables at this time.

Grand forgot about that altogether. humlbiest apologises.

post deleted cos its fairly obvious

Fyr.Fytr

TheNog wrote: »

wonder if customs have ever debated about being armed???

if we (uniformed gardai) were going after a sizable amount of drugs, as customs would, we would always have armed backup with us

Customs attached to cab are armed thats it.

They use gardai, normally drugs units for armed back up


Put it this way they dont even get cuffs, batons or stab vests, firearms are highly unlikely.



But i know australia for instince, customs on land are not armed but their vessels and crews are

CLADA

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Customs attached to cab are armed thats it.

you're mistaken there fyr fytr customs officers are unarmed in this jurisdiction.

kowloon

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

Tiny percentage of whats out there. Guns are as cheap as chips in a lot of countries now and easier to get into Ireland than a DVD from Amazon!

It puts the hassle people have getting licences into perspective.

Fyr.Fytr

CLADA wrote: »

you're mistaken there fyr fytr customs officers are unarmed in this jurisdiction.

Nope they've a special allowence as they're seconded to cab, same way cab legal officers are armed, due to the extreamly high risk attched to the position

TheNog

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Nope they've a special allowence as they're seconded to cab, same way cab legal officers are armed, due to the extreamly high risk attched to the position

I thought the solicitor and Chief State Prosecutor from Cork was the first and only person to be armed by the Gardai?

For the love of God I cannot remember his name. I am having a total memory block at the moment.

Fyr.Fytr

Something Galvin

I'm almost sure they're armed, going on duty in a min, will double check when I get home

civdef

It may possibly be that they've got firearms licences to carry a handgun for personal protection, which isn't unheard of, a good few state officials, former ministers, bank officials etc had them during the troubles.

This would be different to a garda carrying a firearm though.

CLADA

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Something Galvin

I'm almost sure they're armed, going on duty in a min, will double check when I get home

Barry Galvin.

So its guns all round for any member of a state body attached to CAB.

I hear their plumber carries a snub nose 38 in case he's hit on his way in to clear a blocked jacks.

TheNog

civdef wrote: »

It may possibly be that they've got firearms licences to carry a handgun for personal protection, which isn't unheard of, a good few state officials, former ministers, bank officials etc had them during the troubles.

This would be different to a garda carrying a firearm though.

not forgetting uniform gardai were armed back in the 1960's around the border region

Fyr.Fytr

CLADA wrote: »

Barry Galvin.

So its guns all round for any member of a state body attached to CAB.

I hear their plumber carries a snub nose 38 in case he's hit on his way in to clear a blocked jacks.

Just going by my very reliable source, ill see what i can dig out

Doubt ill find much cab being cab, if i cant well agree to disagree, deal?

Eru

Barry Galvin was the first civilian to be allowed carry a firearm. Dont know about now.

Also, up until the 70 / 80s (I think) Gardai were allowed sign out guns if they felt the need.

TheNog

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

Also, up until the 70 / 80s (I think) Gardai were allowed sign out guns if they felt the need.

My dad was stationed in Donegal in the late 1960's/70's and all uniformed Gardai were armed with revolvers

deadwood

TheNog wrote: »

My dad was stationed in Donegal in the late 1960's/70's and all uniformed Gardai were armed with revolvers

Must.........resist..........urge............to.......post...........it's............too easy!!

Eru

TheNog wrote: »

My dad was stationed in Donegal in the late 1960's/70's and all uniformed Gardai were armed with revolvers

Not disagreeing with you just saying that there was an allowance for carrying a firearm in the whole country.

Also, I believe at one stage the MET had an option to sign out a firearm when on night duty. Metman?

FGR

Isn't it the decision of the Chief Constable to arm his/her police in the UK? I doubt it would be so easy for the Commissioner to do the same here.

TheNog

deadwood wrote: »

Must.........resist..........urge............to.......post...........it's............too easy!!

Wha?

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

Not disagreeing with you just saying that there was an allowance for carrying a firearm in the whole country.

I wasn't disagreeing with you either, just randomly saying.

I just finished a weekend of nights and maybe my brain is mush

metman

ForegoneReality wrote: »

Isn't it the decision of the Chief Constable to arm his/her police in the UK? I doubt it would be so easy for the Commissioner to do the same here.

Indeed. This was why after 9/11 it looked like the Met would be routinely armed as enough Glocks were purchased to arm every officer in the MPS.

Karlito- yep it used to be the case that if you had a 'gun ticket', i.e you had done a firearms course, you could sign a revolver out of the armoury when going on duty. The CID used to do this as a matter of routine, much as the Detective Branch do there, but after a number of cock-ups, it was decided to regulate the carrying of weapons more closely. Now only specially trained officers can carry weapons in specific roles.

deadwood

TheNog wrote: »

Wha?



Donegal.....gardai.......revolvers. No joking matter.

mac_attack

Fyr.Fytr wrote: »

Something Galvin

I'm almost sure they're armed, going on duty in a min, will double check when I get home

Think Fyr fytr may have a point, I do remember my Dad telling me years ago when he worked for the comptroller and auditor general that he was offered a job with CAB when it was just starting up and that if he took it he would be armed, which I was quite impressed by, however this was along time ago, I was quite young, have a bad memory and my Dad could have been winding me up.

cushtac

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

Barry Galvin was the first civilian to be allowed carry a firearm. Dont know about now.

Also, up until the 70 / 80s (I think) Gardai were allowed sign out guns if they felt the need.

Des O'Malley said he carried one while he was minister for justice in the early 70's.

Eru

cushtac wrote: »

Des O'Malley said he carried one while he was minister for justice in the early 70's.

Lots of people say lots of things but surely his armed Garda protection made carrying a gun himself a bit redundant? Or maybe he did and it just wasnt 'official'. Looking back I could see that scenario

civdef

No it was official, and not altogether uncommon, for ministers, bank officials etc. We tend to forget just how hairy things got in the 70s.