Gardaí have arrested three people today as part of an investigation into a violent drugs and firearms gang which is also involved in intimidation.
It brings to seven the number of suspected gang members arrested since the garda operation commenced on Monday into the Eastern European-led crime gang.
Those in custody are already serving sentences for drugs, firearms and violent crime and were taken from a number of prisons for questioning this morning by officers from the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.
Earlier this week, 16 homes were searched and three men and a woman were arrested on suspicion of facilitating the activities of an organised crime group.
They have since been released without charge pending submission of a file to the DPP.
Searches were carried out in Carlow, Portloaise, Cork, Limerick and Dublin.
Among the seizures were 12 vehicles, including cars that had been specially modified with elaborate holds and concealments to transport drugs, guns and other contraband.
Also seized was €40,000 worth of cannabis, and €32,000 in cash along with phones, laptops and documentation.
This morning three men, including the suspected gang leader, a Polish national, were arrested in prison and taken to various garda stations for questioning.
The suspected enforcer, a violent criminal from west Dublin is also in custody.
They are serving lengthy sentences for firearms and drugs offences but gardaí say they continued to control the activities of the organised crime group from behind bars.
They are being detained under anti-gang legislation and can be questioned for up to a week.
Gardaí have been investigating the activities of the Eastern European crime gang for the last year with the aim of dismantling it.
Along with trafficking in drugs, firearms and intimidation, gardaí say the gang also does contract criminal work for other crime gangs, including violent drugs intimidation.
It also leases out its specially adapted vehicles with concealment compartments to other criminal gangs.
They are suspected of carrying out petrol bomb attacks in Finglas and north Dublin, aggravated robberies in west Dublin and violent crime and intimidation in other parts of the country.
They are not suspected of having been involved in the recent high profile attacks in Edenderry and Dublin.
Gardaí say the gang operates all over the country and trafficks in heroin, cocaine, cannabis and firearms.
