The drug dealer murdered yesterday in north Dublin may have been shot because gardaí were disrupting his operation and coming close to an arrest, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today.
Armed officers were patrolling the Finglas area today over fears of a major escalation of gangland violence after Martin "Marlo" Hyland was shot six times in the head as he slept in a house at Scribblestown Park.
Anthony Campbell, a 20-year-old plumber's apprentice was also shot dead in the attack. Gardaí say he was an innocent victim working at the house and may have been shot because he was a potential witness.
Detectives regarded Hyland as the head of one of the biggest criminal operation in the State, responsible a large number of shootings, including at least three gangland killings. He was also involved in the distribution of cocaine, heroin and cannabis to dealers around Ireland..
His gang is suspected of offering logistical assistance to a number of foreign national criminals in the killing in Swords, Co Dublin, last month of mother-of-two Baiba Saulite.
Answering Dáil questions from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, the Taoiseach said Operation Oak - the Garda operation focused on key criminal figures - "was very much around the late Martin Hyland".
The operation had led to over 40 arrests of "criminal elements" and seizures of 30kg of heroin, 35kg of cocaine, 1,500kg of cannabis, stolen vehicles, handguns, sawn-off shotguns, rifles, ammunition and cash.
"The gardaí found themselves, because they had closed in so much on this gang, that there was also death threats made against Martin Hyland.
"And then gardaí, even though they were closely watching Martin Hyland, also had to inform him, because of natural justice, that he was being threatened," Mr Ahern said.
He told Mr Kenny that he had not been told by the security forces that Hyland had a role in the murder of Ms Saulite.
It was known that Hyland had contacts with a "serious" former paramilitary but that he was not aware of evidence connecting him to the Provisional IRA, Mr Ahern added.
Mr Kenny told TDs: "The Government was well-warned by Opposition parties that not enough was being done to meet this scourge head-on.
"We have evidence of people driving on the M50 motorway with flak-jackets, with machine gun fire across lanes. Innocent people are being gunned down, being assassinated in broad daylight."
Mr Kenny also claimed that shipments of drugs can be ordered by mobile phone by inmates in prisons.
Detectives hunting the murderers have appealed for the public's help in tracing the movements of a stolen black Volkswagen Passat, registration 06 D 77432, which was found burned out in Ballygall, Glasnevin, yesterday morning.
The car, which gardaí believe was used in yesterday's killings, was stolen at the end of last month. Gardaí want to speak to anybody who may have seen the vehicle around the Scribblestown estate at the time of the killing between 9am and 9.30am, or on Ratoath Rd, Finglas, which is the only access road to and from the murder scene.
Officers conducted inquiries among residents of the Ballygall and Finglas areas today.
Additional reporting PA