Gardaí investigating the murder of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe in Co Louth last month have made the first arrests in the case, with the detention of a father and son yesterday.
Gardaí suspect the men have been using a wrecker’s yard to procure and handle stolen cars for local criminals, include criminal gangs.
The men arrested are in their 30s and 70s and were detained after gardaí searched six locations in Dundalk.
The team investigating the murder of Det Garda Donohoe are trying to establish the level and nature of the contact between the two men being detained and the gang of younger criminals believed to have killed him.
However, the men being held under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act at Drogheda Garda station last night are not believed to have had any direct role in the events on the night of the killing.
Yesterday’s searches got under way at first light and represent the initial wave of actions against those around the killers, before the five chief suspects are targeted.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/564969e4-d81d-474d-b348-d41dfe1aeced.png)