Limerick gang boss Christy Keane arrested over €560,000 cocaine seizure

CONVICTED DRUG DEALER and head of the Keane crime gang, Christy Keane, was in Garda custody today following his arrest in connection with a seizure of over half a million euro worth of cocaine in Limerick.

Keane, 60s, originally from St Mary’s Park, Limerick City, was detained by Gardaí, on Friday, following the €560,000 cocaine seizure, a source confirmed.

Another man, in his 40s, was also being questioned by Gardaí, Sunday, in connection with the same drugs probe.

A Garda Press Officer confirmed today that two men arrested as part of the drugs investigation were “still detained.”

Gardaí said they “arrested two men and seized €560,000 worth of suspected cocaine during searches at a number of locations in Limerick city”.

“Gardaí stopped and searched a vehicle, during the course of which, €490,000 worth of suspected cocaine was seized”.

“During a separate search, under warrant, of a property in the city suspected cocaine with an estimated value of €70,000 was seized,” Gardaí said.

“Two men, aged in their 40s and 60s, were arrested and are currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996 in a Garda station in the Limerick area.”

In June 2015, two masked gunmen, under the orders of the Dundon McCarthy crime gang, targeted Keane in a shooting on the grounds of the University of Limerick.

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Keane was shot four times as he was making his way from his car to the UL Sports Arena for a gym session. He later underwent surgery for his injuries and was provided with round the clock garda protection immediately afterwards.

Last May, ‘Red’ Larry McCarthy, (45), with an address in Donegal, but formally of Tower Lodge, Old Court Road, Limerick City, was jailed for six-and-a-half years by the Special Criminal Court after he pleaded guilty to providing a getaway car used in Keane’s attempted murder.

In July 2023, Noel Price, (45), of Kileely Road, Limerick City, was jailed by the same court for six-and-a-half years after he pleaded guilty to assisting in the provision of the shooters getaway car.

Price had 90 previous convictions including for arson in 2001 when he threw a petrol bomb at the front window of a property belonging to a close relative of Christy Keane, for which he (Price) received a 12-year jail sentence.

In May last year, a third man, John Costelloe, (41), with an address at Hennessy Avenue, Kileely, Limerick was given a suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to providing transport to persons allegedly involved in the attempted murder of Christy Keane following the UL gun attack.

In 2000, Christy Keane was sentenced to 10 years in prison after Gardaí caught him red-handed carrying €240,000 worth of cannabis in a coal sack.

Keane, who served seven years of the sentence, spent a lot of time in Spain after his release, but later returned to his native Limerick where he has tried to keep a low profile.

Christy Keane’s brother Kieran Keane was tortured and shot dead in Deombana, Co Limerick, in January 2003, and his nephew Owen Treacy was stabbed 17 times in the same attack.

Mr Treacy, who survived the double-murder bid, was a key prosecution witness in the trial of five Dundon McCarthy gang members Dessie Dundon, Christopher “Smokie” Costelloe, James McCarthy, David “Frog Eyes” Stanners and Anthony “Noddy” McCarthy, who were convicted of the murder and attempted murder later that year.

A drug turf war feud between members of the Keane Collopy gangs and the Dundon McCarthy, Ryan McCarthy gangs has resulted dozens of violent attacks and around 20 murders.

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