Dublin City Council has taken possession of a house which was being used by an organised crime group as a base for criminal activities after it was raided by armed gardaí.
The house on Ratoath Drive in Finglas, was one of nine properties in the area searched by officers investigating the activities of the gang involved in a local feud with another gang in the area.
The feud has led to an escalation of tension and violence in the area in recent weeks.
Two firearms, including a sub-machine gun, 300 rounds of ammunition and €47,000 in cash was also recovered.
The house, which had bullet proof windows, reinforced doors and CCTV, was used as a base by a gang led by a Finglas man in his 20s.
Gang members accessed the house through the back and by trespassing through neighbouring properties, storing drugs, cash and firearms there and at nearby lands.
The criminals were able to exploit legal issues with the house as well as the fears of law-abiding people in the area. The house has now been boarded up by Dublin City Council.
The gang leader is also linked to the Kinahan organised crime group.A number of his associates including Caolan Smith, Mohammad Smew and Mark Capper have been convicted at the Special Criminal Court and jailed for feud related crimes.
The gang is currently involved in a local feud with other criminals in Finglas, which has resulted in a number of violent incidents in the area in the last few weeks.
These include the abduction and false imprisonment of a 22-year-old man in Finglas on Wednesday night and an attack on the home of an innocent family in the area on Tuesday night, in a case of mistaken identity during which a suspected explosive device was used.
Shots were also fired last week into the house of another innocent family after members of the two gangs confronted each other. A gunman fired shots at rival gang members which hit the home while family members were inside.
Gardaí say it is fortunate no one was hurt.
Gang members have also been taunting and threatening each other on social media and have targeted rival gang members' families, attacked their homes and subsequently boasted about it on social media.
In one video a number of men can be seen throwing paint over a television and destroying a house.
While gardaí raided the house, which they say was the gang's headquarters on several previous occasions, legal complications prevented it from being seized before now.
These have only recently been resolved.
Two other council houses in the area have also been secured.
Gardaí have also increased patrols in the area involving uniformed and armed support units.
An incident room has been set up in Finglas Garda Station and gardaí say they expect to make a number of arrests in the future.
