Nine men have been arrested in Limerick today as part of a Garda investigation into organised crime in the city.
The suspects, aged in their 20s and 30s, were detained following a series of raids early this morning.
No firearms were recovered during the anti-gangland operation but the searches are to continue throughout the day.
Seven of the men are being held under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, designed to target gangland activity, and can be detained for up to seven days.
One man was detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and another under section four of the Criminal Justice Act.
They are being questioned at a number of Garda stations across the city.
The operation involved local Garda units who were assisted by members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) and the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
Earlier this month, Garda Commissioner Facthna Murphy announced that the armed ERU would be deployed in Limerick to help local gardaí.
He said the specialist armed intervention unit would be highly visible on the streets and that he hoped its presence would help prevent violent crime and shootings in particular.
The decision came as the first anniversary of the murder of Limerick businessman Roy Collins approached.
Mr Collins was shot dead on April 9th last while working in his casino, located across the road from the Garda station at Roxboro shopping centre.
The decision also followed the release from prison of Wayne Dundon (32) who served five years for threatening to kill Mr Collins's step-brother Ryan Lee in Brannigan's pub in Limerick in 2004.
