A round-up of other stories in brief...
Brothers agree to hand over £5.7m
Some £5.7 million in assets have been recovered from three Armagh brothers allegedly involved in cross-Border fuel smuggling.
The Serious Organised Crime Agency in Northern Ireland said a High Court consent order was granted after it reached agreement with Damien McGleenan (43), Joseph McGleenan (37), and Francis McGleenan (42).
As part of the settlement, the brothers are to hand over 12 residential properties in south Armagh and Belfast.
They will also hand over three commercial offices, two development sites in Northern Ireland, another in the Republic, the proceeds from the sale of two houses, and £870,000 in cash.
The agency claimed the brothers derived most of their assets through fuel smuggling and excise evasion.
Four held over 1.5m cocaine seizure
Gardaí seized €1.5 million worth of cocaine and arrested four men in Dublin yesterday. Two men were arrested during the search of a car at Balrothery, Balbriggan, Co Dublin. The car was stopped by members of the Balbriggan drugs unit who seized €1.5 million worth of cocaine. Two men were then arrested by gardaí during a follow-up search of a house in Balrothery.
Three of the men were being held at Balbriggan Garda station last night while the other man was being detained at Swords Garda station.
Eight new cases of swine flu confirmed
Eight new cases of swine flu were confirmed in the State yesterday, bringing the total number of cases recorded to date to 49. No details of the new cases have been provided other than confirmation that they are not as a result of in-country transmission. The total number of cases of in-country transmission of the virus to date has been four. Meanwhile, one new case was confirmed in the North yesterday, bringing the number of cases there to 34.
Taxi group seeks to cease protests
The Taxi Drivers for Change group is seeking a mandate from members to cease protests and engage in discussions with the Taxi Regulator, Kathleen Doyle.
In a newsletter published yesterday, the group says it now has “only two choices as to which direction we need to take”, meaning dialogue or further protests. It warned of the consequences of the latter option, and called on members to vote by text on the options.
Two youths held on Lyne murder
Two 17-year-old youths were being questioned by gardaí in Killarney, Co Kerry, last night, in connection with the murder of Stephen Lyne (17), in the town on June 18th.
Both were being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act under which they can be held for 24 hours.
The first youth was arrested at 4.20pm, yesterday, and the second presented himself at Killarney Garda station accompanied by local solicitor Pádraig O’Connell, at 4.45pm.
A 19-year-old youth who was arrested in Killarney, on June 23th, arising from the same investigation, was later released without being charged and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution.