Gardaí have arrested a prolific offender, who served a prison sentence for killing a man, on suspicion of carrying out a series of chaotic armed robberies across Dublin in recent days.
The suspect, a Dubliner in his 40s, has a very large number of previous convictions, including violent robberies.
The incidents involved violent threats against staff , during which gardaí suspect a knife and syringe were produced. Gardaí studied CCTV images from some of the businesses and identified the arrested man as the chief suspect.
“Following reports of seven armed robberies of convenience stores and petrol stations in Rathmines, South Circular Road, Clondalkin and Ronanstown over a recent period, an incident room was established in Clondalkin Garda station under the supervision of a senior investigating officer,” Garda headquarters said in a statement on Wednesday evening.
Podcast: Terry Prone on allowing son Anton Savage to be in her publicity as a child: ‘I think it was the wrong thing to do’
Man who drowned off Galway coast named as singer-songwriter Johnny Duhan
Woman who alleges she was raped by Conor McGregor had ‘severe’ post-traumatic stress disorder, psychiatrist tells court
Owen Doyle: Ireland must ensure Scott Barrett’s claim about Joe McCarthy is not swept under the carpet
The investigation has involved gardaí from Ballyfermot, Tallaght and Clondalkin stations.
The suspect was detained in Tallaght on Wednesday in an operation carried out by the Clondalkin divisional detective and community engagement units backed by Tallaght gardaí.
The man was being questioned on Wednesday night at a Dublin garda station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, which allows for him to be interviewed for up to 24 hours without charge.
The man was previously jailed for the killing of another person and also has a lengthy record for other violent crimes, including robberies. A chronic drug user, he has a total of more than 50 previous convictions.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis