Two African women, alleged to be involved in prostitution and human trafficking, were arrested by gardaí yesterday.

Gardaí arrested the women, aged 42 and 29, after a search of two premises in Mullingar, in Co. Westmeath and they were detained in the town’s Garda station.

They are being investigated for running brothels and then hiding the money for a criminal gang.

The arrests took place early yesterday at Meeting House Lane, Mullingar and Harbour Market Point.

There has been an increasing Garda focus around the country on breaking up groups involved in human trafficking for prostitution and helping the women to start a new life.

Last October, Judge Patrick Durcan jailed Romanian brothel keeper Thiago Silva, 31, of Castle Manor, Racecourse Road, Roscommon for six months.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Durcan said that Mr Silva had engaged in ‘huge exploitation in terms of the level of rent that these girls were forced to pay’.

Judge Durcan said that the girls ‘were the poorest of the poor and came from an impoverished country’.

Insp Tom Kennedy said that Mr Silva was paying rent for the two apartments in Ennis, Co. Clare at €600 each per month. He was, in turn, charging the prostitutes using the apartments €2,400 per month.

In December last year, a Limerick apartment linked to a convicted brothel keeper and her son was acquired with the proceeds of crime, the High Court ruled.

Ms Justice Carmel Stewart made the orders in favour of the Criminal Assets Bureau concerning the property in proceedings against Brazilian-born Aulicete Walsh and her son Maicon Morelli, who is the apartment’s registered owner.

In her judgment, Ms Justice Stewart said she had ‘no hesitation’ in finding that property was acquired with the proceeds of crime.