TWO men in Garda custody last night in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, were being questioned about break ins and firearms offences in the area in recent weeks.
The two, one in his late 20s and the other in his early 30s, were arrested under the Offences" Against the State Act at 2.45 p.m. on Saturday and are due to be charged or released by 2.45 p.m. today.
They were picked up by gardai during a major operation in the west of Ireland, which senior officers said would reduce attacks on elderly people in the region.
Checkpoints have been set up in Galway and Roscommon, backed up by mobile armed units, gardai said. An Air Corps helicopter is to join the operation today.
Gardai indicated that incidents the two men are being questioned about did not include the murder of Mr Tom Casey (68), of Oranmore, last week.
Meanwhile, the search resumes for Mr Jimmy Purcell, the Co Laois man missing since early last Tuesday. He left a pub at Newtown Cross shortly after 1 a.m. heading for his home less than a mile away. When last seen Mr Purcell, who is 5 ft 6 in with black hair, was wearing an off white three quarter length coat with a hood. He had dark trousers, possibly a plaid shirt, and black runner boots with reflectors above the heel.