Five men have been arrested by gardaí investigating one of the country's biggest organised crime groups.
The five men are being questioned in garda stations in the east of the country in connection with the activities of the drug trafficking gang known as 'The Family’, which gardaí say is one of the main suppliers of heroin and cocaine.
The individuals are aged in their 30s, 40s and 60s.
They have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating, assisting or conspiring with an organised crime group.
They are being detained under anti-gang legislation and can be questioned for up to a week.
The investigation is being led by the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau which was supported in a series of raids by the Dublin Crime Response Team, the Emergency Response Unit and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
