Dublin Crime Kingpin Arrested Over 2020 Murder of Robbie Lawlor in Belfast

A man known as Mr Big, suspected in up to 16 killings, was arrested in Dublin on foot of a PSNI extradition warrant. He is due before the High Court on Friday.

Dublin crime kingpin held over Ardoyne murder of Robbie Lawlor

A man known in criminal circles as Mr Big — described by sources as one of the most dangerous gangsters in Ireland — was arrested in Dublin on Thursday in connection with the April 2020 murder of Robbie Lawlor in north Belfast, the Irish Mirror reports.

Detectives from the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) carried out the arrest on foot of a Trade and Cooperation Agreement extradition warrant issued by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The man, aged in his 40s, is due to appear before the High Court at the Four Courts, Dublin 7, on Friday 3 April 2026 at 10:30am.

Lawlor, 34, was shot dead outside a house on Etna Drive in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast on 4 April 2020. Gardaí and the PSNI believe Mr Big, based in Dublin, ordered the killing.

Encrochat evidence at centre of investigation

Investigators are said to hold evidence gathered from Encrochat, a now-defunct encrypted phone network dismantled by French police, which they believe implicates Mr Big directly in the Lawlor murder. Sources told the Irish Mirror that data extracted from the network placed him centrally in planning the hit.

If the High Court grants the extradition request, as is widely expected, Mr Big will face a murder charge in Northern Ireland.

An Garda Síochána confirmed the arrest in a formal statement on Thursday: "The GNBCI of An Garda Síochána has been involved in a joint investigation with the Police Service of Northern Ireland into the murder of Robbie Lawlor on 4th April 2020. This afternoon, Thursday 2nd April 2026, investigating Gardaí from the GNBCI arrested a male (aged in his 40s) in Dublin on foot of a Trade and Cooperation Agreement extradition warrant to extradite the male to Northern Ireland to be charged in connection with the investigation."

The PSNI separately confirmed: "A man in his 40s has been arrested in the Dublin region today, Thursday 2 April, on suspicion of the murder of Robbie Lawlor."

Drogheda feud and the motive behind the killing

Sources believe Mr Big sanctioned the murder because he feared Lawlor was planning to kill him as part of the Drogheda feud. Lawlor was a suspect in the killing of teenager Keane Mulready-Woods in Co Louth in January 2020, a brutal murder that was itself tied to that feud. Mr Big was linked to the opposing faction.

Investigators also believe Mr Big held a longer grievance against Lawlor over the 2018 murder of Kenneth Finn, 36, a Dublin associate, in north Dublin.

Two men have already been charged with Lawlor's murder following an earlier PSNI investigation north of the border. Last year, officers from both forces mounted a joint operation that included searches at 12 properties in the Republic, one of them linked to Mr Big. Gardaí seized phones and electronic equipment during those searches.

Sources say that operation was connected to the Encrochat intelligence haul. While Encrochat data has been used directly as evidence in dozens of trials in the United Kingdom, sources indicate that Gardaí deployed the material primarily as intelligence to guide their inquiry.

A long-standing target with a lengthy alleged history

Mr Big is described by sources monitoring him as one of the most intelligent and ruthless figures in Irish criminal history. Gardaí have long regarded him as a major target, though officers have not previously been able to secure a decisive prosecution against him despite him facing at least one serious charge in the past.

His gang is believed to be responsible for a string of killings, including those of dissident republican brothers Alan and Vincent Ryan, as well as the Lawlor murder.

Investigators also believe the Dubliner has been working to establish his own cocaine smuggling pipeline, sourcing the drug directly from South America. He is heavily linked to drug trafficking, tiger kidnapping and other serious organised crime.

Gardaí said they had no further comment beyond confirming the arrest and the court appearance scheduled for Friday morning.

Source: Irish Mirror