Five men are due to appear before Dublin District Court today charged in connection with the abduction of a young Chinese student. The student was freed during a Garda raid on a flat in central Dublin yesterday morning.
All five are to face charges of robbery, and one will face an additional charge of false imprisonment.
Gardai last night released five other men and two women who were arrested during a raid in which detectives found the student being held against his will in the flat in the Temple Bar area of Dublin. Files are being sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions and charges may be made against the six at a later date.
The five who are to face charges were held in custody to appear in court this morning.
During yesterday's raid on the flat in East Essex Street in Temple Bar, gardai recovered £700 in cash. The raid followed a complaint by a young Chinese man, in Ireland on a temporary work visa, that he had been abducted, beaten and forced to hand over £700 to a gang.
Another young man living in a flat in the north inner city made a similar complaint. In that case an attempt was made to obtain £2,000 by menaces.
Gardai from the Garda National Immigration Bur eau took part in yesterday's raid on the East Essex Street apartment. They found 10 men and two women in the flat.
They also found the other man who has alleged he was being held against his will in a bedroom.
The 10 men and two women were taken to Pearse Street, Store Street and Harcourt Terrace Garda stations for questioning.