The Five Demands

Operazione della Garda su vasta scala nella contea di Cork

Dalle 7 di ieri la Garda con sessanta agenti in uniforme, è impegnata in una serie di raid messi a segno a Cork ed a nord della contea.
La polizia irlandese ha intrapreso l’operazione a seguito della preoccupazione crescente dei dissidenti repubblicani appartenenti al Real IRA, che si sono autonominati ‘giustizieri degli spacciatori’.
Una quindicina di giorni fa il Real IRA aveva rivendicato l’attacco in stile paramilitare ai danni di Ger Stanton, 42 anni, uno spacciatore conosciuto.
Appena 72 ore prima dei raid della Garda, ancora il 32 County Sovereignty Movement (notoriamente collegato al Real IRA) aveva distribuito volantini nei pubs dell’area di Cork, avvisando gli spacciatori a desistere dalla loro attività in cambio della loro vita.
Le operazioni di sicurezza della polizia non hanno portato ad alcun arresto anche se non se ne escludono nei prossimi giorni.
Gli agenti della Garda hanno perquisito abitazioni, locali commerciali e capannoni adibiti a deposito. Sono stati sequestrati vari tipi di documentazione, tra cui volantini e materiale propagandistico paramilitare, oltre a varie imitazioni di armi da fuoco, piccole somme di denaro e minimi quantitativi di droga.
I documenti sequestrati saranno ora esaminati in modo approfondito dagli investigatori irlandese, anche se non è chiaro quali provvedimenti seguiranno.

Fears grow of increased Real IRA drugs war (Belfast Telegraph)
Gardai are cracking down on suspected dissident republicans in the Republic as fears grow of a turf war between the Real IRA and drug gangs.
The Garda move has targeted specific areas of Cork city and county and came less than a fortnight after the Real IRA claimed it was behind the execution-style shooting of convicted drug dealer Ger Stanton (42).
From 7am yesterday, teams of gardai conducted carefully planned raids and searches on homes, business premises and storage sheds at a number of locations in Cork city and the north of the county.
Sixty uniformed officers were involved in the raids which were co-ordinated by Garda intelligence on suspected dissident republicans and their supporters.
A number of premises associated with suspected drug gang leaders were also targeted.
It is understood that gardai made a number of seizures, including documentation, leaflets and military-style publicity material.
Gardai also seized a sum of cash, several imitation firearms and a small quantity of drugs.
No-one was arrested during the course of the operation but gardai refused to rule out arrests at a future date.
The documents seized will now be thoroughly examined by Irish detectives though it remains unclear what action, if any, will now follow.
A senior Garda source said the operation was prompted by concerns that dissident republicans have been making determined efforts to broaden their support base in the Cork area — and that elements of the Real IRA have been trying to bring ‘turf’ under their control in both Dublin and Cork to boost their income.
The raid came just 72 hours after the 32 County Sovereignty Movement distributed leaflets in some Cork pubs warning that drug dealers were now being targeted in the area.
The leaflet — which featured a classic paramilitary propaganda design — bluntly warned that drug dealers who refused to desist from their operations would now face being dealt with by “judge and executioner” if necessary.
However, gardai have “serious doubts” over the Real IRA claim that they were behind the shooting of Ger Stanton on January 20 last in Wilton, Cork.