Their arrests last week follow a law enforcement operation involving officers from Europol and the Brazilian Federal Police assisting the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB) in Dublin.

The arrests were made as part of a coordinated day of action conducted in cooperation with Brazilian Federal Police and Europol.

Gardaí attached to the Human Trafficking Investigation and Co-Ordination Unit at the Garda National Protective Services Bureau made the arrest this morning, Monday, June 9th.

Nine locations were searched and 18 devices have been seized as evidence.

The appeal was made following an alleged false imprisonment and sexual assault of two female sex workers in Limerick

A commission of investigation is to be established to examine historical sexual abuse claims.