Body of Irish drug dealer dumped in suitcase in Amsterdam canal

The butchered body of a man packed into a suitcase and dumped in an Amsterdam canal is that of a Dublin drug dealer.

The dismembered remains of criminal Keith Ennis, 29, from Oakway, Clondalkin, were found three weeks ago by Dutch police, but only now have been identified, after DNA tests. Mr Ennis' family were notified yesterday.

He had been on the run from gardai having absconded while on bail on gun and drug charges. Detectives believe that Ennis may have been butchered by criminals from Dublin.

His body was cut into a number of parts, stuffed in a suitcase which was then dumped into the waters of the canal.

A number of Ennis' rivals threatened him in the recent past, believing him to have been responsible for giving gardai information which led to the discovery of drugs weapons and a drug mixing 'factory' in October 2007.

Ennis was targeted on the street by members of the Pearse St drugs unit because of his known association with a major drug dealing gang. On searching him, they found €23,000 which they confiscated.

Garda sources said that two days later, members of the unit went to give him a receipt for the confiscated cash and decided to search his apartment at the same time.

"They turned over his apartment and found a gun and drugs. In follow-up searches they hit the jackpot with a drug mixing factory," said the source.

Detectives sealed off the premises and later arrested two other men who arrived to collect drugs from the 'factory' where nine kilos of cocaine were found.

On 29 October, 2007, Ennis appeared in Dublin District Court where he faced four charges under the Misuses Of Drugs Act.

He was also charged with being in possession of a Glock firearm in suspicious circumstances.

The drug charges related to cocaine found at his apartment estimated to be worth €2,000.

Today garda sources said that the drugs seized at the time and the factory operation were owned by two major west Dublin gangland figures, one of whom is in jail, serving a sentence for killing another man. The other is understood to be living abroad, possibly in Amsterdam.

The second man is a notorious underworld figure and is believed to have murdered two young men in Dublin a decade ago. He works as the enforcer on the outside for his jailed boss.

This article is from The Belfast Telegraph