A MAN has been arrested after a woman's dismembered head and hands were 'found in a bag' amongst other body parts in Ireland's Wicklow Mountains.
The body parts were discovered yesterday, June 13 – the fourth find in as many days in the area surrounding the Military Road in Co. Wicklow.
A Garda search was initiated after a member of the public discovered the first set of remains on Saturday evening, June 10, at Military Road, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow.
Further remains were discovered on Sunday by gardaí at Glenmacnass Waterfall, before the Garda Water Unit recovered more remains nearby on Monday.
The remains were found along a 20km-30km stretch of the Military Road, which runs between the Dublin and Wicklow mountains, and is a scenic route often popular with tourists.
An Garda Síochána have been assisted in the search by officers from the Water Unit, the Technical Bureau and the Defence Forces.
An officer from the Garda Water Unit searching a bank of the river near Glenmacnass in Co Wicklow. (Picture: Rolling News)A spokesman for An Garda Síochána said, as part of this ongoing murder investigation, a man is his early 30s was arrested late last night in Wexford.
The man remains detained in Garda custody.
Speaking outside Bray Garda Station yesterday, Superintendent Pat Ward said it was an 'unusual investigation' and gardaí had made significant progress in the investigation.
"The area that was searched is very challenging," he said. "The area from the first find to the find on Military Road spans 20km.
"What we've found to date is some limbs and significant parts of a torso.
Members of the Irish Defence Forces speak with Assistant Garda Commissioner Fintan Fanning and local Supt Pat Ward at the Sally Gap, near the crime scene on the Military Road, in the Wicklow Mountains, where different parts of a woman's body have been discovered at four different locations. (Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie)"We've also found in one of the locations, the head and hands of the deceased in a bag," Sept Ward said.
The extensive forensic exam has indicated that the body is that of a female, and not of a male as previously thought.
Supt Ward also said that gardaí are satisfied that officers have found 'most of the body' and the remains are of one body, and not multiple bodies.
Investigating gardaí are appealing to members of the public who were in the general area of Military Road / Laragh, Co. Wicklow in the recent past and who may have seen anything suspicious.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Bray Garda Station on 01-666 5300, the Garda Confidential Line 1-800-666-111 or any Garda Station.
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