TWO MEN were being questioned by gardai in Dublin last night, and three in Cork, in connection with a search of a freighter in Bantry Baby.
A naval engineer and cutting equipment will be brought on board the ship at Castletownbere, Co Cork, this morning as the search of the vessel by customs, gardai and naval officers resumes.
The Tia, a 700 tonne coaster which had travelled from South America, was escorted into the harbour by the Naval Service late on Tuesday night. Three of its four crew members have been detained by gardai. Earlier in the day two men were arrested in Dublin as part of the same Garda operation..
One of the arrested crewmen is believed to be from Co Cork. Another is British and a third is believed to be from Iceland. One crew member has been kept on board to help move the ship this morning, from its mooring outside the port to a jetty at Dinish Island, across the port from the area where the main fishing fleet is docked.
The ship had been tracked by the Naval Service since Friday when it first came towards the south west coast. It had travelled from Surinam in South America, via the Azores.
As the ship headed into Bantry Bay on Tuesday night, the LE Deirdre, maintaining radio silence and with all lights off, drew alongside and armed naval officers, with gardai and customs officers boarded the vessel at about 9 p.m.
The search of the ship continued throughout yesterday. Its cargo holds are empty, but today gardai and the customs officers intend to start dismantling interior panelling, air vents and other areas. The naval engineer is to identify areas of the ship which should be searched.
Navy divers are to photograph and search the underside of the vessel at the jetty.
The Tia, registered in Panama, is believed to have sought shelter after its rudder was damaged. There were conflicting reports last night regarding its final destination. According to one report it was headed for Donegal, although others suggested The Netherlands and Denmark.
The three men arrested in Cork were being detained under new legislation which allows them to be held by gardai for up to seven days. Two were being held at Bandon Garda station and one at Castletownbere.
Vessels which have travelled from particular South American countries are routinely searched by Customs office, but this is normally a partial search. In the case of the Tia, however, the authorities are planning a full search, which includes removing the interior panelling of the ship's accommodation areas and cutting into other parts of the ship.