Gardaí in Co Galway are continuing to question four men as part of an investigation into drug and gun crime in the west of Ireland.
The men, members of the Traveller community and part of a Galway-based crime syndicate, were among 10 people arrested during a series of raids on Tuesday and last night.
They are being detained under anti-gangland laws introduced last year. Nine were arrested as part of the Garda's 'Operation Foolscap' on Tuesday and another man was arrested yesterday.
One of the men, Paul Black of Corrach Bui, Rahoon, Galway, was last night charged with participating in organised crime at a special sitting of Galway District Court.
Mr Black (29) was charged with, between July 23rd of last year and June 1st of this year, knowing that a criminal organisation existed and participating in an activity for the purpose of enhancing the ability of the organisation to commit a serious offence, namely the possession of cannabis with intent to supply.
A Garda spokesman this morning said three men were still being detained in Galway city and another was being held in Tuam.
Five others have been released without charge and files are being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The investigation into the gang’s activities has been going on for six months, but the men’s arrests were hastened by the arrest of a man in Belfast at the weekend for drug smuggling offences.
That man is a suspected member of the Galway-based gang. He was detained by the PSNI at the weekend in Belfast after he was found to be in possession of cocaine with a value of €60,000 having disembarked a flight from Spain.