GARDAI investigating the Veronica Guerin murder have arrested four Dublin men associated with the major criminal believed to have ordered her assassination.
The gardai are also seeking the whereabouts of £100,000 in cash which was withdrawn from a bank account in the name of the wife of the man suspected of ordering the journalist's murder.
The money was withdrawn after the Government let it be known it intended introducing legislation allowing the seizure of funds believed to be the proceeds of crime.
A total of £121,000 was withdrawn from the account in Co Dublin about two weeks ago. Gardai recovered £21,000 at the home of the criminal's brother However, the £100,000 is stifle outstanding.
Yesterday's arrests follow a series of raids on accountants' offices in Dublin, Meath and Louth by the National Drugs Bureau seeking evidence of financial dealings by the Guerin suspect.
The new Garda Commissioner Mr Patrick Byrne, has redirected considerable Garda resources to the fight against organised criminals. Detective units, including the National Fraud and Drugs Bureaux and the new Criminal Assets Bureau, led by the National Investigation Bureau in Garda Headquarters, are spearheading the campaign.
Yesterday's arrests are seen as part of the assault on the crime organisation built up by the man behind the Guerin murder.
One of the men arrested is part owner of a central Dublin public house. He was implicated in the attempts to sell the paintings stolen from the Beit collection at Russborough House, Co Wicklow, in 1986. He was the subject of investigations by Ms Guerin.
Another man, in his early 50s, is said to be the leading figure in fraud in Dublin. He lives in Tallaght and, according to gardai, organises rings of credit card and counterfeit frauds in Dublin.
Two younger men were also arrested during raids yesterday. One of these men is from Tallaght and is associated with the motor trade.
The fourth is said to have worked as driver for a man with whom Ms Guerin had regular contact, and who ran drugs and prostitution rackets. He is a close associate of the major criminal gardai believe ordered the murder.
All four were being held in Garda stations in west Dublin under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, which allows their detention without charge for 48 hours.
Gardai also seized a Mercedes Benz car, worth £80,000, which was outside the home of the part owner of the pub. The car belongs to other criminal who runs the prostitution rackets, and whom Guerin met regularly. He left country after her murder and believed to be in Portugal.
Gardai have learned this man placed hidden cameras in bedrooms in brothels he owned and it is suspected these were being used to blackmail clients.
The car is impounded and is being forensically examined.
As part of the wider investigation, gardai are at relationships between criminals and members of the legal and accounting professions.
Large amounts of money from criminal activity are known to be invested in legal enterprises, and detectives say they strongly suspect criminals have received professional advice from people who must know they are dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Under the new legislation introduced by the Government, criminal assets can be seized by the State on suspicion. However, the weeks of delay between announcing the legislation and enacting it has allowed large amounts of money to be moved from accounts in the State.
Gardai concede that it will be difficult tracing money which is taken out of the State but are confident the new legislation will pressurise the criminal organisations which have grown up in Dublin in recent years.
The moves against criminal assets may also extend to money which was falsely declared as legitimate assets under past tax amnesties.