How did gun held in Kildare garda station end up with criminals?
The details will be revealed in a RTÉ Investigates programme
According to a RTÉ News investigation, a pump-action shotgun seized from criminals in Mullingar in August 2023 was previously seized by Gardaí during a planned drugs raid in Co Kildare in 2009.
An internal Garda investigation later established that the weapon was last recorded as being held at Kildare Garda Station in September 2010, meaning its disappearance went undetected for around 13 years.
The firearm was a 12-gauge, sawn-off Winchester pump-action shotgun.
The details will be revealed in a RTÉ Investigates programme on Wednesday, September 16 at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.
Gardaí discovered its previous history after the Ballistics Section examined the weapon following its seizure on 9 August 2023 and matched its serial number to records on the Garda Pulse system.
Two men were subsequently convicted in connection with the 2023 seizure.
An internal investigation, marked “Secret”, concluded in October 2024 that, on the balance of probability, the firearm had been stolen.
However, it could not establish when, where or by whom it was stolen, and stopped short of confirming that it was stolen from Kildare Garda Station.
The investigation identified serious weaknesses in the station’s firearms management. Keys to an understairs cupboard used to store guns were reportedly kept in a public-office press and were readily accessible, with no control mechanisms.
Firearms records were described as extremely poor or absent, while discrepancies existed between Pulse records, station records and the weapons physically held.
A 2014 firearms audit had also recorded the Winchester as “Not Viewed”. However, local management interpreted this as meaning the firearm had not been inspected during the audit, rather than recognising that it was missing.
Garda statement, April 2024
An Garda Síochána said the shotgun had originally been stolen in a 2004 burglary before being recovered by Gardaí in 2009. Following its seizure in the midlands in 2023, a criminal investigation was launched into how it left Garda control and came into the possession of those charged.
Gardaí said substantial enquiries had been completed and the investigation was in its latter stages. Commissioner Drew Harris also provided reports on the matter to the Minister for Justice and the Policing Authority.