Five men being held in Midlands after arrests on foot of Garda investigation

Five men, ranging in age between 35 and 55, are being detained at Garda stations in Roscommon, Longford, and Carrick-on-Shannon after they were arrested today (Tuesday) in connection with an investigation carried out by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI).

A statement issued by the Garda Press Office this afternoon said the men had been arrested on suspicion of participating in a criminal organisation.

The arrests are the latest development in an ongoing operation lead by GNBCI, with support from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

The investigation is examining deception and fraud involving the tampering of identification passports and microchips of horses presented for slaughter in this jurisdiction.

As part of the probe, searches were carried out at locations in Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Westmeath and Kilkenny earlier this month.

A total of seven sites were searched, including farms, houses, and a commercial premises.