'Operation Stratus' - garda response to Drogheda feud so far

Michael Keaveny

A garda operation  called ‘Operation Stratus’ commenced in October 2018 in Drogheda Co. Louth and has resulted in significant results by local Gardaí in the Drogheda Garda District supported by wider garda resources in the Louth Division and national units.
A number of incidents have been reported, including firearms offences, possession of drugs, petrol bomb incidents, criminal damage offences and general road traffic offences. To date the operation has resulted in four persons before the courts in relation to false imprisonment in November 2018 and a further four people arrested in relation to attempted murder February 2018. Gardai have also recovered five firearms, 13 pipe bombs, drugs with a value of over €110,000 euro as well as €270,000 in cash being seized.
To date, 319 proactive searches have been carried out along with 870 ASU / Roads Policing checkpoints and 1253 proactive uniform & plainclothes patrols.
Speaking in Drogheda this evening Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan said:
 "As Chief Superintendent in charge of the Louth Garda Division I want to assure the people of Drogheda that we will deal forcibly with the crime gangs and dismantle their criminal networks. I ask that the community in Drogheda continue to support us and I reassure them that we have a very comprehensive Operational plan in place to deal with the criminals involved”.
Garda commissoner Drew Harris also recently announced that  25 new recruits from the training college in Templemore will be sent to Drogheda in June as part of a crackdown on the gang feud.