Death threat as gangster moves into INLA 'turf'

Feared criminal Ciaran Hanlon (31) is under a death threat from the INLA mob who are accusing him of running extortion rackets on their patch.

The turf war in west Dublin has resulted in the outfit threatening to murder the convicted gun runner.

Burly hardman Hanlon -- who is closely linked to Andrew Noonan, the son of former IRA man John Noonan -- has been causing major headaches for rival criminals and gardai.

Arsenal

Sources say that Hanlon, from Kilcarrig Crescent in Tallaght, is suspected of making attempts to "muscle in" on the drugs trade in the Fettercairn area and is part of a group which has been trying to extort money from local dealers.

Underworld sources say that a local faction of dissident republican group, the INLA, has warned the criminal to stop.

Sources say that they are just under 20 active members of the INLA in the Tallaght area -- making it one of its biggest strongholds in the capital.

Their target, Hanlon, was jailed for five years in October 2006 after being caught with an arsenal of guns and ammunition on the M50 on St Patrick's Day in 2005. Hanlon was under surveillance by gardai while he drove a stolen car from Dublin to Edenderry, Co Offaly, where he was seen loading the lethal cache, and then back to Dublin before the gardai stopped him on the Blanchardstown slip road off the M50.

After being arrested by armed gardai, Hanlon first claimed he had "acquired" his arsenal of four shotguns, a rifle and ammunition because he was under threat from a serious criminal.

But he later told officers that had been instructed to take the guns back to the city by another person to whom he owed a debt but the gardai were unable to verify this.

Gardai had received confidential information that a stolen car parked at the Ibis Hotel in Clondalkin was to be used in a serious offence.

Gardai began surveillance of the car, which had been stolen in a burglary in Co Roscommon some months earlier.

They saw Hanlon get out of another car which had pulled up and get into the car being watched and tracked both cars travelling in convoy to the Edenderry house.

The cars then returned to Dublin through the M50 toll bridge and were stopped by gardai at a red light on the Blanchardstown slip road.

Muscle

The guns had been stolen in burglaries in Kilkenny, Laois and Meath and were legally held by private owners.

The origin of the ammunition had never been established.

Sources say that since being released from prison, Hanlon has continued to be involved in criminal activity.

"He has been acting as muscle -- he has actually been causing a few problems.

"He is involved in a so-called debt collection business," said a source.

Apart from his pal Andrew Noonan (32) who was arrested by gardai investigating the shooting of innocent Tallaght man Robert Delany in 2008, Hanlon also has links to Sharon Rattigan, the sister of 'King Ratt' gang boss Brian Rattigan.

kfoy@herald.ie