Three men have appeared in court charged with the kidnapping of murdered Limerick crime boss Kieran Keane.
All three were also before a special sitting of Limerick District Court charged with the abduction of Keane's nephew, Owen Treacy.
James McCarthy, 23, and David Stanners, 31, both with addresses at Pineview Gardens, Moyross and Christopher 'Smokey' Costelloe, 20, of Moylish Avenue Ballynanty, were charged with falsely imprisoning both men on January 29th last.
Armed gardai patrolled the area outside the courthouse during the brief court sitting.All three accused were heckled as they were being led in and taken away by onlookers who had gathered outside the court.
Judge Terence Finn heard that further serious charges are expected to follow as part of a major garda investigation.
Defence counsel told the court that all three men were unemployed and in receipt of social welfare.
None of the men spoke in court and all three were remanded in custody to Tuesday's sitting of Limerick District Court.
They were the first people to be charged in connection with the Kieran Keane murder.
Six other people - three men and three women - who had been arrested on Friday in connection with the same murder investigation - were released without charge at the weekend.