Gardaí investigating the murder of Baiba Saulite (28), a mother of two, 12 months ago were last night questioning two men about the killing.
One of those arrested is regarded as a very significant gangland figure. Originally from Dublin but now living in Co Kildare, he is a major drugs trafficker. Gardaí believe this man played a key role in sourcing the handgun and car used by those who killed the Latvian woman.
Ms Saulite was shot dead as she smoked a cigarette in the hallway of her home in Holywell Square, Feltrim Road, Swords, on Sunday, November 19th, 2006.
Her two young sons - Ali-Alexsandra (5) and Mohamed Rami (3) - were asleep in the house when their mother was shot dead. She was buried in her native Riga in December last year.
The two men being held last night were arrested at addresses in Allenwood, Co Kildare, and Coolock, Dublin, early yesterday. Neither man is believed to have carried out the killing, but gardaí believe both aided the killers when the murder plan was first being put in place.
Both were being detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act on suspicion of withholding information. They can be held for up to three days without charge. They were being held at Coolock and Malahide Garda stations.
The criminal arrested in Kildare is a 37-year-old who claims to be a car dealer and horse dealer. However, he has been heavily involved in crime, particularly drug trafficking, since the early 1990s. He was investigated by the Criminal Assets Bureau, which served him with a demand for unpaid taxes of almost €1 million.
The other man is a 39-year-old well-known criminal. While living in Coolock, he is originally from Cabra.
He is currently on bail awaiting trial for armed robbery. He is a member of the Finglas-based gang once headed by Martin "Marlo" Hyland, who was shot dead 12 months ago.
The two arrests bring to 18 the number of people arrested for questioning about the murder of Ms Saulite. A number of files on the murder have been sent to the DPP but nobody has been charged to date.
Detectives believe Ms Saulite was murdered on the orders of a man known to her. The chief suspect is involved in organised crime and detectives believe he paid other criminals to kill her.
The chief suspect is currently in prison for offences unrelated to Ms Saulite's murder.
While serving his sentence, it is believed he approached members of one of Limerick's feuding gangs to kill Ms Saulite. They agreed and effectively outsourced the killing to Marlo Hyland's gang.
Ms Saulite knew she was in danger. She had been threatened and was in constant contact with gardaí. Her solicitor, Swords-based John Hennessy, had been given Garda protection in the weeks before her killing.
He went abroad for safety reasons for a short period after the murder. He returned to work at his legal practice before the end of last year, but he is still under armed Garda protection.
A number of Dublin-based foreign nationals who are linked to the chief suspect have been arrested and released without charge. It is believed that before the Limerick gang agreed to carry out the killing, the man who ordered the murder approached a number of foreign national criminals.
Gardaí have also arrested members of Hyland's gang. A member of one of Limerick's feuding gangs was also questioned.
Gardaí in Swords can be contacted at 01-666 4700. Anybody with information can also contact the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 250 025.