Cork woman Catherine O’Brien arrested 

She has been taken to a garda station in the east of the country and is being questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

She is being questioned about one alleged offence and can be held for up to 24 hours.

Last year, a nolle prosequi was entered in the case of two men accused of demanding money with menace from Ms O’Brien as her whereabouts could not be established.

An earlier hearing in that case was told that Ms O’Brien, originally from Buttevant in Cork, is a suspect in eight active cases involving €100,000 and lesser amounts.

In February 2022, a decision was made in favour of the Criminal Assets Bureau, allowing the retention by the State of a 2015-registered Land Rover Discovery which the High Court ruled was purchased through the proceeds of “criminal frauds” by Ms O’Brien.

A garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí investigating a number of incidents of alleged fraud have arrested a woman, in her 40s, this morning June 1, for alleged offences under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud) Offences Act 2001.

“The woman is being detained under section 4 Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda Station in the Garda Eastern region. An Garda Síochána has no further comment at this time.”