A fifth man has been arrested in connection with multiple robberies in East Limerick.
The man who is in his 20s was arrested in Limerick city yesterday and is being held at Henry Street Garda Station under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act.
He can be held for seven days without charge.
On Tuesday night, gardaí extended the periods of the detention of the four other men arrested earlier that day during dawn robberies in various locations in the county.
The arrests are part of Garda operations targeting criminal activity across East Limerick over the past number of months.
Separately, a Co Limerick businessman who was arrested during an attempted armed robbery at a petrol station city on Monday night is still being questioned by gardaí.
The 49-year-old was arrested shortly before midnight after gardaí were alerted to an incident at the Gala store at Larkin’s Cross, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, just outside Limerick.
A rifle which was seized by gardaí has been sent for analysis.
The attempted robbery on the filling station at Larkin's Cross was the fourth by the suspect in as many days and followed similar hold ups at three filling stations in Cork city and county over the weekend.
Gardaí believe the same man, who is from Co Limerick and was not known to gardaí prior to this crime spree, held up filling stations in Bishopstown, Mallow and Midleton in Co Cork.
He is also being investigated for up to eight similar type filling station robberies in Co Limerick and Co Tipperary over the past month or so when staff were ordered to hand over money at gunpoint.
It’s understood the man was using his own private car as a getaway vehicle and gardaí in Mitchelstown got a partial registration number earlier this month which helped them trace it.
The suspect is being detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be held for up 72 hours without charge.