Man with links to CAB target is fighting for life after stabbing in Co Cavan

The victim who is aged in his early 20’s and from the locality is being treated in hospital for his injuries.

It is understood that he suffered an injury to his neck area when he was stabbed once with a knife.

He was attacked when two suspects broke into a house in the town of Bailieborough and slashed the victim before smashing up the house and its windows.

Two suspects have been arrested and are still being questioned about the stab attack which is being investigated as a targeted incident.

The incident unfolded in a property Bailiorough just before 5am and the two suspects who are aged in their 20’s are being questioned in the local garda station.

The two arrested men are originally from Navan, Co Meath and they were arrested near the scene of the incident.

They were intercepted by gardai on patrol in the locality who were forced to use pepper spray on the suspects when they resisted arrest, according to sources.

They are currently being questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

The injured man has been involved in a number of rows with criminal groupings in recent months but he has no significant criminal convictions.

Sources say that the stab victim is friendly with a local drug dealer who has been warned by gardai of an active threat against his life and has turned to an INLA criminal faction for protection

The Co Cavan based mobster aged in his 40’s who has been a major target for the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is suspected of being one of the main players in the border county’s drugs trade for years as well as being involved in supplying drugs into Co Meath.

Tuesday morning’s stabbing is believed to be linked to a separate row but sources say that gardai are keeping an open mind.

Last week we revealed that the under-threat Co Cavan dealer has been a long term target for gardai and was the subject of a significant CAB raid a number of years where a number of high value items were seized and it is understood that a tax demand has been made on him by the Bureau.

He cannot be named here for legal reasons as he is facing serious court charges in relation to a campaign of intimidation.

In a search of a property linked to him by the Cavan-Monaghan drugs unit earlier this year a large amount of cash and expensive designer watches were discovered hidden at the property.