Gangster ‘Mr Flashy’ and close associate arrested over serious firearms offences

Gang boss Mr Flashy arrested over seizure of ‘heavy duty’ firearms in Finglas
Gardaí arrested the two men in relation to the seizure of two “heavy duty” firearms

The notorious gangster nicknamed ‘Mr Flashy’ is in garda custody tonight where he and a close associate are being questioned about serious firearms offences.
We cannot name the gangsters for legal reasons but they are allegedly heavily involved in gangland feuding in north Dublin.

Both men are facing serious charges before the courts related to organised criminal activity.

“Gardaí investigating the seizure of two suspected firearms and ammunition seized during a number of searches conducted by Gardaí in the Finglas area on Thursday, 10th February, 2022 have today, Thursday, 11th January 2024, arrested two men,” a garda spokesman said.

“The two men (age 30 years and 22 years) were arrested in the Finglas area and are detained under section 30 Offences Against the State Act 1939, as amended at a Garda Station in West Dublin,” he added.

Gardaí arrested the two men in relation to the seizure of two “heavy duty” firearms and ammunition which they seized during raids in north Dublin two years ago.

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The search operations, which targeted nine addresses in the Finglas area that were suspected of being used by organised crime groups, took place on February 10, 2022.

The firearms and money seized

Officers recovered two suspected firearms, more than €47,000 in cash and 300 rounds of ammunition during the operation, where local gardaí were backed up by members of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), the Garda Dog Unit, the Blanchardstown District Detective Unit, and the Task Force and Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit.

Gardaí launched investigations into these seized items and the criminal activities of this west Dublin based crime group shortly afterwards.

Following the searches in 2022, a number of the addresses targeted were boarded up by Dublin City Council, including one property used as a headquarters for the 'Mr Flashy' drugs mob for years.

Once described as a "gangland fortress" it had been the subject of numerous raids by armed gardaí since 2017 and was known as the notorious safe house which had been used to plan drug deals and mob hits for at least five years.

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It had bullet-proof windows and doors and an elaborate CCTV system, and over the years it had been shot at and attacked numerous times.

But on every occasion that it was damaged, junior gang members would quickly clean up the mess and new windows and other fittings would be installed as "business" continued as normal in the property.

It is understood to have been bought by the local authority from a person who has no involvement in crime shortly before the raids in February 2022.

Mr Flashy has survived a number of assassination attempts as part of the bitter feud including in December, 2022, when he was present when one of his closest associates was shot in the buttocks and hand on Cardiffsbridge Road, Finglas.

This man is also in custody tonight being questioned about firearms offences.

After multiple shots were fired at but failed to kill the drugs boss and his close associate, the gunmen sped from the scene and crashed their car in the Berryfield area of Finglas before setting the vehicle alight to destroy forensic evidence.