A man is being detained on suspicion of the murder of Irish schoolboy Kyran Durnin while police carry out a forensic search at a property.
The man is being held at a Garda station in the east of the country in relation to the disappearance of the Co Louth child.
Officers launched searches at two houses in Drogheda on Thursday with the aim of discovering any evidence which may reveal where Kyran is or what happened to him.
A search at one of the houses concluded by the afternoon, while the second house and a garden are expected to be subjected to an “intrusive” and forensic examination.
The search is being carried out by the divisional search team, supported by the Garda National Technical Bureau, the Divisional Scene of Crime, Forensic Science Ireland and a specialist cadaver dog.
A murder investigation was launched in October after the disappearance of Kyran, who was potentially missing for two years before authorities were alerted.
It is suspected that the boy, who was reported missing in August, might have died in 2022 when he was six.
On Tuesday, a woman was arrested and questioned by gardai before being released without charge 24 hours later.
In late October, investigators searched a former family home in Dundalk and adjoining land.
Ireland’s Child and Family Agency Tusla submitted a report on its engagement with Kyran and his family to the Minister for Children last month.
Minister Roderic O’Gorman said he could not disclose or publish any details of the report as there is an ongoing Garda investigation into the presumed death of the boy.
Gardai continue to appeal to anyone with information about Kyran, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact the investigation team at Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111, or speak with any member of An Garda Siochana.
