Two held by gardaí investigating human trafficking

A man and a woman are being questioned by gardaí following raids linked to suspected human trafficking.

Gardaí carried out a series of planned searches in the Dublin, Dundalk and Athlone areas yesterday where they recovered mobile phones, electronic devices and documentation.

A man in his 20s and a woman in her early 30s were detained at Clondalkin Garda Station under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, legislation used to hold suspects believed to have links to organised crime.

A third man who had been held in Athlone was released without charge.

The arrests were made as part of Operation Quest which was set up to identify suspected victims of human trafficking.

Detectives have been working alongside officers in Europol, Interpol, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Human Trafficking Centre Central Investigations Bureau in Warsaw, Poland and the Serious Organised Crime Agency in the UK.

Gardaí have appealed for anyone with information on suspected human trafficking to contact detectives in Store Street, Dublin.