Two senior gangland figures in Limerick remained in custody on Wednesday night following a major drug seizure in the city.
Officers described the arrest of two brothers as “extremely significant” in the ongoing fight against organised crime in Limerick.
The men aged 40 and 43 were the only two people in the house in St Mary’s Park when armed gardaí raided the house at 6pm on Tuesday.
It is understood the brothers were found at the kitchen of the house with a consignment of heroin which was in the process of being cut.
The heroin worth about €50,000 has been sent to Dublin for analysis to determine the purity of the drug.
St Mary’s Park is the stronghold for the gang members who were only recently released from prison after serving lengthy sentences.
Both men have a number of previous convictions for serious offences.
A Garda source described the arrests and as “extremely significant” given the circumstances of the arrests and the people involved.
The suspects were held for questioning at Henry Street Garda Station under the provisions of section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.
The search of the house was part of an ongoing investigation into organised crime in the Limerick area.