Seems to have been a fire outside Rasta Power in Balbriggan

NorthDub

Was walking to train station this morning and could see what looks like the remnants of a fire outside Rasta Power and the African food shop

sgarvan

Walked past this on the way to the train this morning and I see that the outside of it is burnt.

I believe that a car was set on fire outside of it.

I wonder is that the start of someone trying to burn this shop?

Beasty

Threads merged

Beasty

sNarah

I don't even know where that is!

I presume "Rasta Power" is a headshop? A pity to see that Balbriggan isnt safe from vigilantes neither if that was the case.

Beasty

The two witnesses above stated the fire was outside the shop

Let's stick to the facts, rather than speculate over the underlying nature of this incident and whether this shop was being targeted

Thanks

Beasty

sgarvan

Yes Rasta Power is a head shop in Balbriggan.
From what I understand and was told by my father a car was on fire outside the shop. I have no idea if the shop is damaged at all.

sgarvan

How it looked this morning.

Frank Spencer

Third head shop firebombed as local panic rises

A THIRD Dublin head shop has been firebombed -- after a car containing drums of petrol was driven at the premises.

The attack took place at the Rasta Power head shop in Balbriggan, north Dublin, last Wednesday night, when a vehicle burst into flames outside the premises, damaging the exterior of the building.

Gardai have launched an investigation into the attack, which occurred when a man rammed a car containing three five-gallon drums of petrol at another vehicle, before setting it alight.

The incident followed a recent firebomb attack on the Happy Hippy head shop on North Frederick Street, and a third on the Nirvana head shop on Capel Street. In those attacks extensive damage was caused to the premises.

The shop front of Rasta Power, located on Railway Street, Balbriggan was completely scorched after the fire, and the windows of neighbouring shops were cracked due to the intense heat coming from the blaze.

Despite this, the shop has re-opened and is trading as normal.

A man in a grey hoody drove a 96 Nissan Primera, which contained three five-gallon drums of petrol, and rammed it into another parked car outside the shop at around 10.30pm.

And the minute the driver jumped out of the car, it burst into 20ft-high flames and he escaped by foot, according to locals.

Last Wednesday's fire follows a firebomb attack on the Happy Hippy head shop on February 16, when two gangland thugs detonated a petrol bomb almost killing a head shop worker, two innocent women and themselves.

Gerry Gaughan, the owner of G Taxis which is beside Rasta Power, told the Herald that business owners in the area fear their whole livelihoods will go up in flames.

"The windows [upstairs in the taxi company] cracked from the heat, so if it was another minute it would have gone up. The windows cracked even through the metal shutters on the shop beside the head shop."

Frightened locals heard a massive bang outside the shop, and in a matter of seconds the car was engulfed in flames, with only the footpath between the fire and the head shop.

The owner of Rasta Power refused to comment on the incident yesterday, and his business remains open since only superficial damage was done to the shop.

The shop was closed at the time, and no one was injured in the incident.

Paranoid

Gerry's son Kieran added: "I'd just pulled away from the taxi rank across from the railway station. And there was a car parked just outside the head shop which was in the way so he rammed into that.

"We're paranoid that someone's going to come down and burn us out. It's not just our livelihood, it's the 30 drivers that are with us as well. And our equipment is worth between €15,000 to €20,000."

Gardai at Balbriggan Garda Station are currently investigating the incident.

Link

sgarvan

And once again last night. Another car set on fire outside the shop.

NorthDub

I saw that on my way to the station this morning, it is a miracle nobody was hurt. The head shop was open yesterday evening as I walked by it on my way home

Morpheus

worst bit is that some people reckon its vigilantes or even provo groups doing this "for the local community" truth is theres more chance that it is drug dealers own doings as we all know that these so called headshops and their legal highs have taken sales from the hard drugs. The individuals carrying out these attacks have shown no regard for other businesses attached, such as the taxi rank and the african food store both of which provide employment in the local area. scum.

meditraitor

Morphéus wrote: »

worst bit is that some people reckon its vigilantes or even provo groups doing this "for the local community" truth is theres more chance that it is drug dealers own doings as we all know that these so called headshops and their legal highs have taken sales from the hard drugs. The individuals carrying out these attacks have shown no regard for other businesses attached, such as the taxi rank and the african food store both of which provide employment in the local area. scum.

+1

P_1

Scum of the highest order. What gives them the right to attempt to burn down a legitimate business while also endangering other businesses. I'd imagine Gerry Gough is livid this morning.

What business is located on top of Rasta Power these days? Are Troy Horse still using those rooms?

sNarah

I believe G Cabs are operating from above the headshop, was reading an interview in the Fingal with the owner who was worried about possible attacks - which would also affect his business.

And so it has.

Pity.

Eoineo

Ironically the Balbriggan Drugs Task Force/Community Policing forum have offices overhead as well.

Fingleberries

Eoineo wrote: »

Ironically the Balbriggan Drugs Task Force/Community Policing forum have offices overhead as well.

The Community Policing forum have an open meeting up in O'Dwyers tonight.

P_1

Fingleberries wrote: »

The Community Policing forum have an open meeting up in O'Dwyers tonight.

Regarding these fire attacks or is it just a general meeting?

Fingleberries

A General meeting that has been scheduled for a while, but I am sure there may be a few questions regarding the fires.

sgarvan

Shop was back open yesterday after the attack.

Seen this morning there is 3 cameras and a flood light put on the outside of the shop

NorthDub

I saw it was open alright yesterday, there was someone working on the shutters outside it, I think the spotlight has been there since the previous attack on the shop. I feel very sorry for the other neighbouring businesses having to worry about what is going on.

I dont know if I am being overly suspicous but I think they timed the attempt to burn down shop as if it was another half hour later, there would have been plenty of people around as they would have been coming off the last train.

Frank Spencer

Woman tells of her terror as gangsters torched shop
A taxi driver has today told of her narrow escape as a head shop was firebombed.

The frightened cabbie was brazenly asked by a gang member to move her taxi before they drove a petrol-filled car up against the Rasta Power head shop on Balbriggan's Railway Street and torched it.

Waiting outside the GCabs office on Railway Street on Monday night, the driver said she couldn't believe what unfolded before her eyes.

"The last train doesn't get in to Balbriggan until around midnight and sometimes there is a bit of work from the station at that time," the driver told the Herald.

"The next thing I saw was the lights of a car driving towards me, and because it is a one-way street I flashed my lights at it to warn them," she added.

"But the car kept coming, and it parked up at an angle on the path in front of me, and then the passenger leaned out and said 'Could you move back a bit'," the driver explained.

"It wasn't in a threatening manner or anything, it was just like the way you would ask someone to move if you needed space," she added.

The driver reversed back a few feet, but the next move by the two men in the car made the taxi driver suspicious.

"After I moved they drove the car right up against the head shop and I thought 'I don't like the look of this'," said the cabbie.

"I was nervous. I was aware that I was a woman on her own in a car, so I just got out of there," the lady explained.

"It was bizarre they way they did it all," she added.

Revenue

Meanwhile, Garda sources say the attacks on head shops across Ireland are believed to have been orchestrated by criminal gangs, whose revenue from drug-dealing has been severely affected by the popularity of the stores selling so-called 'legal highs'.

"We believe the attacks are the work of Dublin gangs who have been hit in the pocket, but the fear is that the violence could yet be targeted against people rather than buildings if they feel their message is no being heeded," one Garda source told the Herald.

Link

They seem very calculated in their actions.

NorthDub

exactly as I thought and said, I have often gotten the last train home and there are usually a good few people about at that time and always a couple of taxis at the rank

dsmythy

Frank Spencer wrote: »

Link

They seem very calculated in their actions.

Good over the top headline by the paper. She said she wasn't asked in a threatening manner. Hardly terrifying. They were there to try burn down a shop, not attack female taxi drivers.