Gardaí who discovered a machine gun in a wooded area beside a housing estate have said they are determined to find and remove deadly weapons from the streets.
The firearm was recovered as part of an intelligence led operation targeting organised crime in south Dublin.
It was discovered in a wooded area close to the Elmcastle Park road in Tallaght. One man and a teenager were subsequently arrested as they walked toward a parked car in the area.
The RAK firearm is a Polish designed 9x18mm machine gun.
"For the purpose of tackling crime An Garda Síochána is determined to remove firearms that have the capacity to kill from our streets and to identify those who we suspect are willing to use them," Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll of Special Crime Operations said in a statement following the discovery.
The operation was carried out by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau on Friday afternoon.
A 28-year-old and a 17-year-old are currently being held at Tallaght Garda station under Section 30 of the Offences Against The State Act.
The Elmcastle Park road, just off the M50, loops around a green area bordering a large housing estate.
