Irish police target dissident republicans in searches
Irish police have seized cash, drugs and a number of suspected imitation guns during a major operation targeting dissident republican paramilitaries.
About 60 Garda detectives searched homes and business premises in Cork city and in the north of the county from early on Tuesday morning.
The ‘fake’ guns will be sent for examination. No arrests have been made.
The operation followed a claim from the Real IRA that it shot dead a convicted drug dealer in Cork on 20 January.
It is understood the Garda are keeping an open mind about whether the Real IRA was responsible for the murder of Gerard Stanton outside his home.
A leaflet was circulated last weekend by dissident republicans warning the Real IRA had a list of alleged drug dealers who they had “marked for execution”.
