Gardaí believe a 22-year-old Dublin man found dead yesterday on a remote Co Wicklow road was shot in the head after falling foul of his drug-dealing associates. It was the 15th gangland murder so far this year.
Detectives are working on the theory that the dead man, Owen McCarthy, from Ashwood Park, Clondalkin, was taken by his killers to the Wicklow Gap, shot in the head, and left at the scene.
His remains were found by a passing motorist at 7.40am at Annalecka Bridge, Ballinagee, on the main Hollywood to Glendalough road. Detectives believe Mr McCarthy was killed early yesterday morning.
Mr McCarthy was not regarded as a major criminal figure. However, he was involved in the drugs trade and was associated with an extended group of drug dealers in west Dublin, some of whom are very well known to gardaí.
He was described by senior Garda sources as a "runner" who transported goods for a drugs gang operating in Tallaght, Clondalkin and Blanchardstown. He was also a drug user.
His killing comes after a lull in gangland murders since Operation Anvil was established in May, with a budget of €6.5 million, to target armed gangs in Dublin.
Mr McCarthy was facing a number of criminal charges at the time of his death. He was arrested twice in the Clondalkin area in recent weeks. On both occasions he was found with quantities of drugs with a street value of between €10,000 and €15,000. Garda sources last night said he was most likely shot by people known to him either because he owed them money or they feared he was about to become an informer.
State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy carried out a preliminary examination of the remains at the scene. A postmortem was being carried out last night in Dublin. Supt Tom Mulligan, who is leading the investigation, said a thorough technical examination of the scene was being carried out. He appealed for anyone who was travelling recently on the road between Hollywood village and Glendalough to contact gardaí.
"We would be very anxious to talk to those people because at this point in time we don't know how the body got there or at what time in the night, or in what condition it arrived in," he said.
