Dublin crime gangs were paying up to €5,000 each to import semi-automatic handguns, such as a Glock 19 or a pistol, with a magazine and 12 bullets

Dublin crime gangs were paying up to €5,000 each to import semi-automatic handguns, such as a Glock 19 or a comparable pistol, with a magazine and 12 bullets.New firearms, such as the 70plus Glock handguns seized last week, are sold at a premium, as they do not have a ballistic record that can link the user to previous criminal activity.High-quality, used semiautomatic handguns command a price of €2,500 to €3,000, which may include a quantity of ammunition.Gardaí have known for some time that handguns are often loaned or rented by the criminal community for between €300 and €500. As a result of a four-month joint Garda, PSNI and Dutch police operation called Operation Bench, 27 firearms were seized in a swoop last Tuesday on a Dublin gang which is led by a well-known organised crime figure currently in Portlaoise prison.Another 14 weapons were recovered in Belfast by PSNI detectives, and a further 165 guns were located in the Netherlands by Dutch police. Six arrests were made, including two Irish citizens, one in Dublin and one in Belfast.A spokesman for the Dutch public prosecutor’s office said that the total street value of the 165 firearms seized in Amsterdam was €1 million.