Two men were arrested and a handgun seized in Dublin as part of an investigation into the Albanian mafia, with recent seizures highlighting the increasing influence of Albanian organised crime gangs in Ireland.

Gardaí in Dublin have arrested two men and seized a handgun as part of an investigation into the Albanian mafia operating in the city. The suspects, aged in their 20s and 40s, were arrested at the Rosemount Business Park in the Blanchardstown area. One of the men arrested is closely linked to another Albanian gangster who was recently jailed for a serious assault which occurred at another industrial estate in west Dublin. Gardaí are carrying out follow-up searches at other locations in the city. This is the third significant firearms seizure in west Dublin in a week, though there are no links between them. In 2017, it was revealed that specialist gardaí were conducting a number of top-secret operations against the Albanian mafia in the capital.