no plea Man arrested for possession of gun and ammo in Dublin remanded

A MAN arrested for possessing a gun and ammunition during a Garda operation in Ballymun, Dublin, was remanded in custody today and will face objections to bail.

Unemployed Leon Mitchell, 42, of Shangan Green, Ballymun, was stopped near his home on Thursday.

He was detained at a local garda station under section 30 of the Offences against the State Act until gardai charged him on Friday night.

He was brought before Judge John King at Dublin District Court, charged with two Firearms Act offences.

Mr Mitchell is accused of having a 9mm Grand Power G9A pistol and seven rounds of ammunition at Shangan Green on April 14.

Garda Peter Elliot gave evidence of the arrest. He told Judge King the accused man "made no reply to charge after caution" before he was handed copies of the charges.

The garda told the court he would be objecting to bail due to the seriousness of the offences.

However, defence counsel Kevin McCrave informed the judge, "there is no application today".

Mr Mitchell, dressed in a black tracksuit, did not address the court and has not yet indicated how he will plead.

Judge King remanded him in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday.

He granted legal aid after noting Mr Mitchell was on social welfare.

As part of Operation Tara, gardai carried out a follow-up search of a house in the Finglas area on Friday. They seized a machine pistol, two loaded magazines, two silencers and a quantity of ammunition and arrested a woman in her 50s.

She has now been released without charge pending a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

All items seized were sent for ballistic and forensic examination.