At least two of Ireland's most notorious Dutch-based fugitives have reportedly fled the Netherlands following the arrest of Ms Jennifer Guinness's kidnapper, John Cunningham, and a woman said by Dutch police to be his wife.
A prominent Irish drugs criminal who fled the Netherlands after the arrest of Cunningham on Friday is believed to have been a key link man for many years between drugs criminals in Ireland and Colombian drugs cartels.
The man, from Dublin, who has a criminal record in Ireland, became a top supplier of cannabis to Dutch "coffee shop" drugs dens. He is said to have fled to Belgium where in recent years he made a fortune smuggling cannabis.
The arrest of Cunningham and the woman may be linked to Dutch-based interests of other Irish criminals, according to a Dutch police source. Five people were arrested, including two Britons and a Dutch man.
Dutch police said that along with 21 firearms, including five automatic weapons, they found 200,000 ecstasy tablets, 50 kg of amphetamines and 1,000 kg of cannabis.
He said: "We have waited to give out any public information in Holland on the arrest of the Irishman. Our investigation is not yet complete and we do not wish to say anything more at this stage which might hamper ongoing investigations."
It is understood that Cunningham had been lying low, moving between several houses and apartments occupied by Irish criminals in the Amsterdam area since late last year.
His arrest at an apartment in the Weteringbrug area of the southern suburbs of the Dutch city late on Friday followed a month-long Garda surveillance.
According to sources at a well-known Irish bar in Amsterdam where Cunningham was seen recently having a drink with several Irish friends "two of those friends have disappeared and we think have now left the country in fear".
Smuggled foreign and Dutchgrown cannabis, along with thousands of ecstasy tablets from secret Dutch laboratories, have been sent to Ireland in recent years.
The Dutch police spokesman said the arrest of Cunningham was the result of a long and painstaking operation.
"We waited until the Irish police said we should move in and then a special squad arrested Mr Cunningham. Together with the 21 firearms and the large quantity of drugs seized at several addresses, a large quantity of money in different currencies and several high-powered cars were also seized."
Amsterdam police have refused to comment on Irish media reports that drugs worth £8 million were seized in the apartment occupied by Cunningham and another unnamed Irish citizen.
"It would not be in the interests of the ongoing investigation to say anything concerning drugs," said Dutch police.
When brought before an examining magistrate in Amsterdam during a closed session yesterday afternoon, Cunningham was charged with unlawful possession of firearms.
A spokesman for the public prosecutor's office said he and an Irish woman, believed to be his wife, together with two Britons and a Dutchman, were due to be remanded in custody again over the coming days. It is then expected that the period in custody would be extended for 30 days.
Under Dutch law a trial date would then have to be announced within a further three months. Last night a spokesman for the Dutch public prosecution office said it had no knowledge of whether any request for the extradition of Cunningham, wanted to serve the remainder of a sentence for the Guinness kidnap, would be presented by the Irish authorities.