Rise of Ireland’s ruthless gangs ‘shows my murdered sister died in vain’

The brother of a journalist shot dead by gangland criminals in Ireland 20 years ago, has said she died in vain. Jimmy Guerin, whose sister Veronica was killed for exposing gangland feuds, believes the drugs barons are more powerful than ever. He said: "I would believe if we take the way we’re living today, there was nothing gained from Veronica’s death and yes, her death was in vain. I have always said that it was too high a price to pay but unfortunately, we’ve paid an extremely high price for nothing at all.“

We’re in a much worse place now than we were 20 years ago. The gangs have re-emerged much stronger, much more powerful, much more ruthless and far more immoral than the ones that went before.

Jimmy Guerin

Mr Guerin spoke out as journalists again come under threat in the wake of a series of tit-for-tat killings in the Irish capital. On Thursday, the Irish Independent ran a defiant front page after its reporters were threatened over their coverage of a feud between two Irish drugs cartels which led to the shooting dead of a man at a boxing weigh-in. Paul Williams, a well-connected crime author, said: "The message was 'this is war’. They tooled up and dressed themselves for war. In almost 30 years in this business, it was one of the most audacious crimes I’ve ever seen.”

They’ve become very sophisticated, they’re using the dark net, they don’t leave their messages on mobile phones anymore, they’re using all sorts of apps, so it needs very sophisticated policing.

Ireland justice minister Frances Fitzgerald

guerin