Gardai in Galway believe that they have uncovered a protection racket in which a number of Chinese restaurant owners have been threatened if they refuse to hand over money.
Three men, wielding iron bars and knives, are believed to have threatened the owner of one premises in the city when they travelled from Dublin last weekend.
The incident resulted in one of the men ending up in hospital after the proprietor refused to part with money. The other two men, who are of Chinese origin, were taken into custody by gardai.