Two men were being questioned by gardaí last night in connection with the murder of Latvian woman Baiba Saulite in Swords, Co Dublin, last November.
One of the men is a foreign national in his 30s. The other is a well known member of one of Limerick's feuding gangs.
They were both arrested yesterday at 7.30am at Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, where they are serving prison sentences.
Ms Saulite (28), was shot dead as she smoked a cigarette in the hallway of her home in Holywell Square, Feltrim Road, Swords, on Sunday, November 19th.
Her two young sons Ali-Alexsandra (5), and Mohamed Rami (3), were asleep in the house when their mother was shot dead. She was buried in her native Riga in December.
Gardaí are working on the theory that the murder was carried out by a contract killer. They believe a man who wanted her dead may have approached Irish criminals and organised for them to shoot her.
Ms Saulite knew her safety was in danger at the time of her murder. She had been threatened and was in constant contact with gardaí.
Gardaí mounted security around her solicitor, Swords-based John Hennessy, in the weeks before the killing after learning of a plot to shoot him.
He went abroad for safety reasons for a short period after the murder. However, he returned to work at his legal practice before the end of last year.
The Limerick criminal being questioned last night is currently serving a sentence linked to gangland activity. He is also facing prosecution for a murder in the city some years ago. He was being questioned at Malahide Garda station last night in connection with Ms Saulite's killing.
The foreign national arrested is in prison for his role in an organised crime gang made up of other Dublin-based foreign nationals. He was being questioned at Swords Garda station, where the murder investigation is based.
Both men were being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. They can be held without charge for 24 hours and were due to be released or charged by 7.30am today.
They cannot be named for legal reasons.
Yesterday's arrests are the latest in a string of arrests by detectives investigating Ms Saulite's murder.
A number of Dublin-based foreign nationals have also been arrested and released without charge.
The Swords-based investigation team has also arrested members of the crime gang formerly headed by major Finglas drug dealer Martin Hyland, who was shot dead by his own gang last December.
One of Hyland's gang questioned about Ms Saulite's murder is also a suspect for Hyland's murder.
Gardaí believe a number of criminals, from Ireland and abroad were approached and asked to shoot Ms Saulite by a man who wanted her dead. At least two refused before the killers agreed to carry out the murder.
Similar efforts were made to hire a gunman to shoot Mr Hennessy. He was given Garda protection when firm intelligence was received that criminals had been approached to source a gun for a planned attack on him.
