Two men who gardaí believe have vital information about the killing of young Latvian mother-of-two Baiba Saulite were being questioned about her murder last night following their arrests in Dublin.
The men, who are both from Lebanon, were arrested by detectives at addresses in the north and west Dublin suburbs of Raheny and Blanchardstown at 7.30am yesterday.
Gardaí suspect at least two other men were hired to shoot the victim's solicitor, Swords-based John Hennessy.
One of the men approached about Mr Hennessy's planned shooting is in talks with gardaí about going into the witness protection programme. Gardaí are working on the theory that there is a connection between an arson attack on Mr Hennessy's house in north County Dublin in February and a similar attack on Ms Saulite's car in the weeks before her murder.
Mr Hennessy left Ireland following Ms Saulite's shooting. However, he returned to the country on Sunday.
He was back representing clients at Swords District Court yesterday. He is currently under armed Garda protection.
Informed Garda sources last night told The Irish Times that the two men in custody, who are both in their late twenties, are not suspected of direct involvement in Ms Saulite's murder on Sunday, November 19th.
However, gardaí believe they have worked very closely with a suspect in the case in recent years and they believe both men have information about how the killing was organised and the identity of the gunman.
Gardaí have identified a number of foreign nationals who are believed to have information about the killing. Most of these men were known to gardaí before Ms Saulite's murder.
Gardaí have requested profiles of them from police forces in their native countries via Europol. Detectives have expressed satisfaction with the progress of their inquiry to date and are confident of securing a conviction. More arrests are expected in the immediate future.
The two men being questioned last night were being held at Malahide and Coolock Garda stations under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
They can be held for up to 72 hours without charge.
Ms Saulite was shot dead as she smoked a cigarette in the hallway of her home in Holywell Square, Feltrim Road, Swords, Co Dublin.
She had two young sons Ali-Alexsandra (5) and Mohamed Rami (3).
Both were asleep in the house when their mother was shot dead. She was buried in her native Riga last weekend.
Her estranged husband, Hassan Hassan (38), was refused bail to attend the funeral and look after the two boys.
The Lebanese national is currently in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, where he is serving four years for his role in an organised crime gang exporting stolen luxury cars to the eastern European market.
