Three men are due to appear in court on Thursday following a Garda investigation into violent robberies targeting men and woman working in prostitution.
The three will appear before a special sitting of Roscommon District Court.
A fourth man arrested in relation to the Garda operation was released without charge and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The men, aged 18 to 37 years, were detained on Tuesday in the course of three searches in the west Dublin area.
A fifth man was arrested during the operation on foot of a bench warrant over an unrelated matter and was brought before the District Court.
Since mid-October there have been at least seven assaults on people involved in prostitution.
The attackers have targeted those offering services online and used their internet presence to lure them to locations where the assaults and robberies have then taken place.
“The motive for these attacks appears to be monetary gain, although violence has been used and they have been terrifying incidents for the injured parties (female and male) involved,” gardaí said in a statement.
“On each occasion an online appointment is made, but when the ‘client’ arrives the sex worker is attacked and robbed by a number of males.”
Investigators are working closely with the injured parties involved and treating the victims with “the utmost sensitivity and confidentiality”.
Gardaí from the Dublin South Central, Western and Northern Divisions have been involved in the investigation along with colleagues from the Longford-Roscommon division.
