Gardai are preparing a file for the DPP in the hope of bringing charges against a gangland criminal over an arson attack on a KBC Bank.

A 26-year-old man, who has previously been quizzed over crimes linked to the Hutch/Kinahan feud, was arrested over last week’s malicious fire at the Dublin city centre branch.

A window was damaged and an accelerant thrown into the lobby area of the KBC headquarters on Sandwith Street, Dublin 2, at around 11.15pm last Thursday.

Over the weekend detectives arrested a north-inner city criminal who has close links to the Kinahan cartel.

He was previously arrested over two suspected foiled shootings on Hutch family members, both which took place in March of this year.

The arson suspect was held on Saturday and Sunday but was last night released from Pearse Street garda station without charge.

Investigating gardai will now be preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and hope to bring criminal charges against the gangland criminal.

It is being probed if he was offered cash to carry out the attack on the KBC Bank and gardai are following a number of lines of inquiry.

The 26-year-old, who is from Dublin’s north inner city, has more than 100 convictions and is currently before the courts facing serious charges.

On March 15 he was arrested in Wexford by detectives, who suspected that a member of the Hutch family was about to be shot.

Just a few weeks later, on March 30, he was one of four people arrested in Dublin by members of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU).

Two loaded firearms were recovered and detectives believed that there had been an imminent threat to life before they intervened.

He was released without charge on both occasions.

Over the weekend, two further attacks were carried out on KBC Bank branches in Dundrum and Swords.

Gardaí are probing if the attacks on the banks are connected and are part of an orchestrated effort, or if they were carried out by individuals who are not connected to each other.

In the wake of the damage done to its headquarters, KBC Bank said that it was increasing security measures.

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