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The brutal killers of Eoin O’Connor and Anthony Keegan have fled to Britain, it emerged last night.

Two women are among the four-strong gang Gardai believe blasted the men to death over a drug debt and dumping the bodies on a tiny island.

A man of African descent and his girlfriend are being pursued by Gardai after fleeing to the UK.

This man is well-known to officers and was previously jailed for a brutal stabbing.

The men’s bound bodies were found on Monday tied together and wrapped in plastic sheeting on an island in Lough Sheelin on the Meath/Cavan border.

A senior source said: “These people have been at the centre of the Garda investigation from the start. Keegan and O’Connor gave their names to their families before leaving.

“The suspects denied any involvement in the killings and they claimed that they left the country out of fears of reprisals from associates of the dead pair.”

Detectives believe the pair were shot in a dispute over a drug debt on the night they vanished on April 22.

It is believed their bodies were then brought on a boat to Inchicup island and dumped in dense undergrowth.

(Image: Philip Fitzpatrick)

The pair’s remains were examined at the scene yesterday before being brought to Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan, where a postmortem was carried out by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy.

A rented home was sealed off yesterday and the Irish Mirror has learned that four people suspected of being involved in the murders have left the country.

A man of African descent and his girlfriend are being pursued by gardai after allegedly heading to the UK.

This man is well-known to detectives and was previously jailed for a brutal stabbing.

Officers are also keen to speak to a low-level drug dealer, who is originally from Dublin but living in Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, about the killings.

A female associate of this man has also left the country.

A senior source said: “These people have been at the centre of the Garda investigation from the start.

“Keegan and O’Connor gave their names to their families before leaving.

“The suspects denied any involvement in the killings and they claimed they left the country out of fears of reprisals from associates of the dead pair. Detectives believe they may hold the clue to solving this case.”

Gardai have been working on the theory Mr O’Connor, 32, and 33-year-old armed robber Mr Keegan travelled to Co Cavan on April 22 to collect a €15,000 drugs debt which was owed by the low-level dealer’s associates.

The pair’s families became concerned shortly after 9pm when calls were not returned.

Some of Mr O’Connor’s family travelled to Cavan that night in a bid to find the pair and an official Garda search was launched 24 hours later.

A day later an anonymous call was made to Mountjoy Garda station saying the two men had been shot and dumped in a field.

The major breakthrough came on Monday when fishermen on Lough Sheelin became concerned about a smell from the island.

When officers went to investigate they made the grim discovery.

Gardai last night issued a fresh appeal for anyone with information to contact the incident room in Kells on 046 9280828, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.