Police officers from North West England travelled to Ireland earlier this week, to carry out planned searches of a location in Co Limerick, as part of an investigation into historic sexual abuse allegations.
Gardaí assisted the police officers from the Cumbria Constabulary in carrying out a two-day raid, over last Monday and Tuesday, including at a property in the Dromkeen area of the county.
Three people have been arrested in England as part of the probe, police said. In a statement issued to the Limerick Leader newspaper, Cumbrian police said: "Officers from the Garda assisted Cumbria Constabulary officers in executing a warrant at a property in Co Limerick on Monday and Tuesday (18th and 19th September). The warrant related to an ongoing investigation into non-recent abuse alleged to have been committed outside of the Republic of Ireland."
“Three people have been arrested this week in connection with the investigation. A man and a woman in their 70s from Cumbria and a man in his 80s from Bedfordshire.”
“The man and woman from Cumbria have been bailed and the Bedfordshire man has been released under investigation,” the statement added.
It’s understood that a number of items were taken from a house in Co Limerick as potential evidence in the case.
According to sources the allegations centre around sexual abuse, including the abuse of children.