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| Dutch police in Irish gang raids | Dutch police in Irish gang raids |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| Dutch police have arrested three men and a woman as part of an international investigation into an Irish crime gang. | Dutch police have arrested three men and a woman as part of an international investigation into an Irish crime gang. |
| More than 150 guns, including automatic Glock pistols and Steyr submachine guns with silencers, were found in an office building in Amsterdam. | More than 150 guns, including automatic Glock pistols and Steyr submachine guns with silencers, were found in an office building in Amsterdam. |
| Earlier this week, two men were arrested in Belfast and Dublin by police investigating a drugs network. | Earlier this week, two men were arrested in Belfast and Dublin by police investigating a drugs network. |
| A variety of weapons were recovered in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland during raids on Tuesday. | A variety of weapons were recovered in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland during raids on Tuesday. |
| Heroin worth about £3.25m was also seized by Garda officers. | Heroin worth about £3.25m was also seized by Garda officers. |
| ITEMS FOUND BY DUTCH POLICE New automatic Glock handguns and Steyr machine guns7,000 rounds of ammunitionLaser pointers for firearms20,000 eurosCurrency-counting machineMobile telephones, computers and documents | |
| The National Prosecutor's Office in the Netherlands said on Thursday that three men aged 41, 42, and 53, and a 27-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of possession and sale of illegal firearms. | The National Prosecutor's Office in the Netherlands said on Thursday that three men aged 41, 42, and 53, and a 27-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of possession and sale of illegal firearms. |
| The operation, involving the PSNI, Gardai and Dutch authorites, was launched last July following a request from PSNI. | The operation, involving the PSNI, Gardai and Dutch authorites, was launched last July following a request from PSNI. |
| Dutch police carried out four raids on Tuesday night, including three in houses - two in Amsterdam and one in the nearby city of Zaandam. | |
| In a statement the National Prosecutor's Office said: "There were reasons to suspect that firearms and hard drugs were being supplied to the criminal organisation in Northern Ireland and that these were coming from the Netherlands." | In a statement the National Prosecutor's Office said: "There were reasons to suspect that firearms and hard drugs were being supplied to the criminal organisation in Northern Ireland and that these were coming from the Netherlands." |
| Officers found dozens of weapons in plastic carrier bags in the boot of a car at business premises in the Oud-West area of Amsterdam. | Officers found dozens of weapons in plastic carrier bags in the boot of a car at business premises in the Oud-West area of Amsterdam. |
| Seven thousand rounds of ammunition were also seized, along with 20,000 euros and a currency-counting machine. | |
| On Friday the suspects will be brought before the investigating judge in Rotterdam. | On Friday the suspects will be brought before the investigating judge in Rotterdam. |
| PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde said the gun seizures may have saved lives. | |
| "People will now be alive in the Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom and Europe as a result of this and many serious crimes won't be committed," he said. | |
| "This was certainly one of the most significant operations in recent history." |