Gardaí have made another arrest as part of an ongoing investigation into the theft of agricultural machinery and livestock in the southwest region.
The investigation relates to incidents of theft from farms in the Kerry and Cork West Garda divisions.
It follows on from the arrest, and subsequent release, of another person as part of the same investigation earlier this month.
This latest arrest – of a man aged in his late 30s – was made in Tralee yesterday (Tuesday, June 27).
He is currently detained under the Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007, at a garda station in Co. Kerry.
Gardaí said that this investigation is ongoing.
The previous arrest was of a man aged in his 20s, and took place on June 13.
Gardaí announced that the man was released on June 16, without charge.
These arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into multiple reported thefts in the Kerry and Cork West Garda divisions in late-2022 and early 2023.
These reported thefts included agricultural machinery and livestock, to the value of around €110,000. The thefts included a tractor and slurry tanker that were later recovered.
The first arrest earlier this month occurred on foot of a number of searches that were carried out at residences and farmlands in north and west Co. Kerry, in which a number of vehicles were seized.
The searches were conducted by gardaí from the Cork West and Kerry divisions, with assistance from the Regional Armed Support Unit from Co. Limerick, along with local divisional crime scene unit members and community policing members.
A man aged in his early 20s was arrested under the provisions of Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 as part of that operation. He was subsequently released, with a garda spokesperson saying at the time of the release that a file would be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).