From Peoples Republic of Cork :: Cork Online.
250 jobs to go in Limerick

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250 Jobs To Go In Limerick Drug Gangs Merger

Limerick's notorious Keane family has announced 250 redundancies within its network due its merger with former rivals the Dundon-McCarthy criminal gang.
Some 200 of the redundancies will come from within Limerick City itself with the remainder from the wider Munster area.

Gang chief Christie Keane was interviewed by a local radio station via a mobile phone from his prison cell this morning.

He said that although there was bad blood between the gangs, they felt there was no other option available to them.

"It was either continue on with our bloody feud and both go out of business, or adapt to the new economic reality of the drugs market.

With that in mind it made more sense to merge with the Dundon-McCarthys in a single operation…"

Under the plan, half of Dundon-McCarthy's personnel will be co-opted into the new set up, with the remainder being surplus to requirements.

Approximately one third of the Keane network will also be let go.

Foreign suppliers of the Dundon-McCarthy gang will not be affected as their contracts will automatically transfer to new criminal conglomerate over the coming weeks.

The gang says an involuntary severance package will be forced upon those being let go and no meetings will be held to discuss the redundancy terms:

"They'll take what their being offered or else they'll get their legs broke," said Christie Keane.

He refused to be drawn when asked what is contained within the package:

"Mind your own #ucking business, but I'm sure you can take a guess."

Philip Callopy is one of those who is being let go. A former associate of the Keanes, he blames the "incompetence" of senior gang members for the loss of the 250 jobs.

"The Keanes used to be good, professional criminals, but that all changed a few years ago. Christie got reckless and ended up in jail, Kieran got himself killed and Liam became a smack head.

"I was one of their closest colleagues and how was I rewarded? First Liam steals my car and burns it out and then I'm sacked. And to really rub it in, they go and merge with our former enemies? I tell ya, there's no honour in crime these days – it all about profit margins.

Loyalty counts for nothing anymore."

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