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Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Nicola Donnelly

Paralysed Irish mobster using vehicle recovery business as 'front for drug distribution'

Paralysed mob boss Owen Maguire has been using a vehicle recovery business as a front for his direct involvement in the distribution of drugs, an affidavit has claimed.

However, in the affidavit filed to the High Court as part of a Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) case against paralysed Maguire and his brother Brendan, a Detective Inspector claimed it is his opinion that the towing truck has never been used.

The CAB’s case against Owen and Brendan centres around €304k in cash, two properties at St Anthony’s Park, Cement Road in Drogheda, a Rolex watch, a Ford Transit van and a Mercedes car.

Read more: Badminton champ who paid woman for access to kids for sexual gratification faces jail

Last week the High Court heard service of documents by the CAB has been effected on Brendan Maguire while Judge Alexander Owens granted the order that allows gardai to leave documents on Owen Maguire’s doorstep as the mobster previously refused to accept them.

Owen Maguire is linked to a gang which has been involved in a lethal gangland feud in Drogheda since 2018. In the affidavit, the officer describes Owen as “a major scale drug dealer” supplying drugs in much of the country’s north-east area who survived being shot six times in a murder bid at his home.

The officer’s affidavit continues: “I say and believe that Owen Maguire is using a vehicle recovery business as a front for his direct involvement in the distribution of controlled drugs.

“I have never observed him working in this business or in any other legitimate business,” the affidavit continued. “A towing truck is parked on site at Mell Halting site on Cement Road [in Drogheda, Co Louth].”

A registration number was listed. “However, it is my belief that this towing truck vehicle is never used,” the officer’s affidavit continued.

Both Owen and Brendan - who has been described in the affidavit as “a person of significant strength and is the person that collects the money owed for drugs or uses intimidation when required” - survived being shot in separate attempted murder incidents in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Owen was left paralysed after murdered gangland criminal Robbie Lawlor pulled the trigger on him leaving him confined to a wheelchair.

Lawlor, who was shot dead in Belfast in 2020 and is the chief suspect in the murder of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods who was abducted, murdered and dismembered in January 2020, was named in the High Court as the gunman.

The deadly Drogheda feud has seen four murders as well as over 100 violent incidents, the petrol bombing of homes and the kidnap and torture of Aaron Rochford, 22.

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