Gardaí find man's body in Co Meath

A postmortem is due to be carried out on a body found in Co Meath by Gardaí investigating the abduction of man from a Dublin …

A postmortem is due to be carried out on a body found in Co Meath by Gardaí investigating the abduction of man from a Dublin street.

Ciaran Noonan (29), who was living in Ashbourne, Co Meath, was last seen on Russell Avenue, East Wall, on October 20th.

A Garda spokesman said an area near Trim had been sealed off following the discovery of a body yesterday.

The remains have been taken to Tallaght hospital where deputy state pathologist Dr Khalid Jaber will conduct the postmortem.

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The searches had been ongoing for a number of days.

Gardaí consider Mr Noonan’s abduction and his presumed murder to be drug-related.

He was seen being beaten by a number of men, at least one of whom was armed with an iron bar, before being bundled into the back of the car and driven off.

Gardaí believe Mr Noonan was driven away in a distinctive black VW Golf with a spoiler on the rear, tinted windows, spoked wheels and bearing the licence plate 05-D-88805.

The car was later found at an underground car park at the Killegland apartment complex in Ashbourne at about 8pm on the day of the abduction.

Gardaí believe they have identified the man who was driving the car. However, efforts to find him have proven unsuccessful. He is known to gardaí but was not regarded as a major gang figure.

Detectives think Mr Noonan most likely died in the period shortly after he was last seen alive in East Wall.

While gardaí presume he was murdered and his remains were dumped or disappeared, the investigating team have not ruled out the possibility that he may have died accidentally during the course of his abduction.

There have been two arrests, both of women suspected of withholding information. Both have been released without charge.