Seven women and one man due before court in connection with Drogheda feud

The eight, who are close associates of one side of the feuding gangs in the town, have been targeted as part of Operation Stratus

Seven women and one male are due to appear before Drogheda District Court this morning charged with money-laundering and drugs offences.

The eight, who are close associates of one side of the feuding gangs in the town, have been targeted as part of Operation Stratus.

Of the eight, seven are charged with money-laundering while one female is charged with facilitating the activities of a criminal gang, money-laundering and drugs importation.

READ MORE - Drogheda thug releases rap video seeming to boast about abduction and torture of young man six years ago

READ MORE - Investigations ongoing into murder of Drogheda feud’s first victim - five years on

The eight range in ages from 26 to 38.

During the height of the feud between two criminal gangs, which escalated in July 2018 after mob boss Owen Maguire was shot several times and left paralysed, there have been four murders and over 100 serious criminal incidents of petrol bombs, serious assaults and a kidnapping.

The feud also claimed the life of teenager Keane Mulready-Woods, who was murdered and dismembered in a house in Rathmullan Park in the town in January 2020.

Two brothers who lead one side of the feuding gangs have fled the country while several others have been jailed for their roles in the feud.

These include Paul Crosby, who was jailed for 10 years for facilitating Keane Mulready-Woods' murder, Gerard 'Rocky' Cruise, who was jailed for seven years, while Gerard 'Ged' McKenna was jailed for cleaning up the house in Rathmullan Park where the teenager was murdered.

Robbie Lawlor, who was suspected of the murder of 17-year-old Keane, was shot dead in Belfast in April 2020.

Sign up to the Irish Mirror's daily newsletter here and get breaking news and top stories direct to your inbox