The Garda Ombudsman is investigating after a loaded sub machine gun belonging to a Garda unit was found in the street.
It belongs to the unit policing the Hutch Kinahan gangland feud.
Gardai say a senior officer "has been appointed to examine all the circumstances" surrounding the discovery.
It's believed the gun belongs to the Emergency Response Unit who are policing the inner city, to keep a lid on the Hutch Kinahan gangland feud.
The gun was handed in to Store Street Garda Station by a member of the public yesterday evening.
Senior Garda investigating how an officer’s sub machine gun ended up on a Dublin Street. It was handed in by a member of the public. Marie Metcalf from the Community Policing Forum says they’re used to guns in the area. pic.twitter.com/1ymzAEf0SU
— Kim Buckley (@KiiimBuckley) July 11, 2018
Detectives are looking into whether it fell from an ERU vehicle.
The Garda Ombudsman (GSOC), meanwhile, confirmed it has launched a 'public interest inquiry'.
The office said in a statement: "The Commission is concerned about the reports in the media and the apparent lack of security that these reports suggest.
"The Commission is of the view that an independent investigation is necessary to ensure public confidence in the civilian oversight of policing in a time of increased armed gardaí in Dublin city in particular."
The incident is being seen as a major embarrassment at time when a massive security operation is in place for the visit of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Marie Metcalf from the Community Policing Forum says that they're used to guns in the area: 'There have been guns handed in to this office over the past number of years so it's not something that I'm surprised by, what I am surprised at is that it was the Guards, which was a mistake. But there's been a lot of mistakes, there's 214 deaths in this area, so we're used to mistakes happening'.
