Two men have been arrested by gardaí investigating human trafficking in Co Carlow.
The men, aged in their 30s and 50s, were taken to Kilkenny Garda Station following an operation carried out by officers from the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GBPSB) and the Human Trafficking Investigation and Coordination Unit (HTICU) on Monday.
A file has now been prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The gardaí have appealed to anyone who is a victim of human trafficking to contact them, and said that all cases will be treated with the "utmost sensitivity".
They said: "The Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB) is committed to supporting victims of all crime including human trafficking, and to bringing persons intent on exploiting human beings for personal gain, to justice."
Last year Ruhama engaged with 147 victims of trafficking, 45 of whom were new referrals, it said last June.
The charity's data showed a 60% increase in referrals from the year previous.
