EVEN people were being questioned in Dublin last night by detectives investigating the murder of the journalist Veronica Guerin.
Four men and three women, were arrested early yesterday. They are detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act which allows detention without charge for 48 hours.
Two are the parents of a man suspected of having driven a motorbike used in the assassination of Ms Guerin. The man is now believed to have left the country. A third relative of the man has also been arrested.
Three others are relatives of a major Dublin drug dealer known as "The Penguin", who runs an illegal drug trade for much of Dublin from his base in Ballyfermot.
All seven were arrested in Dublin at about 8 a.m. yesterday. They were being held at Lucan, Clondalkin and Kilmainham Garda stations.
A small sum of cash was seized at the time of the arrests.
Yesterday gardai said it was too soon to indicate whether there was any prospect of charges against those arrested.
Two key figures in the gang which trailed the journalist on June 26th - the motorbike driver and the man suspected of having shot Ms Guerin - are believed to be abroad.
Gardai have now arrested and questioned about 120 people over the murder.