Gardaí investigating potential human trafficking links to alleged abduction of woman
GARDAÍ investigating the alleged kidnapping of a woman in her 30s are probing potential human trafficking links, the Irish Daily Mail has learned.
A major Garda operation was launched yesterday after a member of the public rang 999 to report seeing a woman in a highly distressed state in Arklow, Co. Wicklow.
As a result, officers tried to track the woman’s location. Several techniques, including the review of CCTV as well as mobile phone data, were used by officers to try to narrow their searches.
A yellow Renault Trafic van was spotted at around 11am in Dublin city centre after Garda stations across the country were issued with an alert regarding the vehicle.
A decision was then made to issue a statement to the public regarding the van. That statement urged people to contact gardaí if they saw the van but warned them not to approach the vehicle.
The van was finally intercepted after a member of the public spotted it in Co. Mayo, over 300 kilometres away from where it was last seen.
Following the tip-off, gardaí managed to detain the vehicle and broke their way through to the back of it where they found the woman, who is in her 30s, in a distressed state. A man in his 40s, who is understood to be from Longford, was arrested in relation to the alleged false imprisonment and was last night being questioned by officers.
Sources told the Mail that while it is very early in their investigations, gardaí are probing several theories as to why the woman was locked up in the van.
One said: ‘An aspect gardaí are looking at is whether or not this incident could be looked upon as a human trafficking violation. The woman herself was physically okay after she was released but she was traumatised by the whole thing.
‘Specialist officers are now going to try to talk to her to find out exactly what happened. It appears that she knew the man who was arrested.’
The source added: ‘It’s of course very early in the investigation, but gardaí are making sure they do a thorough investigation here and that’s why they are looking into the possibility of human trafficking being a part of this.
‘The man who was arrested would be well-known to gardaí out west. He has a few convictions out that way.’
Gardaí confirmed to the Mail a man was apprehended on Tuesday evening and that investigations were ongoing.
A spokesman said: ‘An Garda Síochána has successfully located the vehicle in question in Co. Mayo, following information provided by a member of the public.
‘The investigation into the alleged false imprisonment of a female is ongoing.
‘The woman is safe and well and is currently receiving support from An Garda Síochána. An adult male has been arrested and is presently in custody at a Garda station in the Northwestern Garda region.
‘An Garda Síochána would like to thank the public and media for their assistance.
‘No further information is available at this time.’
‘The woman herself was physically okay’