Two more people have been arrested on suspicion of murder in the investigation into the disappearance of Carrie Mullane, the 39-year-old mother of four from Limerick who vanished after travelling to Northern Ireland last month.

Police in Northern Ireland said on Sunday that a man in his 30s and a woman in her 60s were arrested on suspicion of murder in the Enniskillen area. Neither has been named, and neither has been charged.

Ms Mullane, from Moyross in Limerick, is known to have travelled to Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, on 10 October. There have been no confirmed sightings of her since, and her family and friends have said her silence is out of character and raised grave concerns for her safety.

Man already charged with murder

On Saturday, Michael Lynch, 35, of Trasna Park, Enniskillen, appeared at Dungannon Magistrates' Court by video link charged with the murder of Ms Mullane and with preventing the lawful burial of a corpse. He was refused bail because of the risks of interference with witnesses and justice, flight and reoffending, and is due to appear again at Enniskillen Magistrates' Court by video link on 30 November.

Police believe Ms Mullane was murdered sometime after her arrival in Northern Ireland and that her body was disposed of in Lough Erne. The charges against Mr Lynch are allegations that have not yet been proven in court.

The court heard that Ms Mullane and Mr Lynch travelled from Limerick to Enniskillen together by public transport on 10 October, then took a taxi from Enniskillen bus station to his property in Trasna Park. Neighbours told police the pair were staying in a campervan parked outside the house and that Ms Mullane was seen moving between the house and the campervan, but there were no sightings in recent weeks.

A welfare check by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) at the property on 29 October did not locate her. The court heard Mr Lynch consented to a police search of his property the next day but withdrew that consent within minutes.

Evidence heard in court

Detectives told the court that Ms Mullane collected weekly benefits in Limerick, which had not been collected since 10 October, and that family and friends had reported it was unusual for her not to be in touch.

A blood-stained carpet, a blood-stained Converse shoe and a bottle of Flash cleaning liquid were later found in a van, the court heard. The carpet is believed to have come from the living room of the property, where police believe Ms Mullane was fatally injured, and DNA matching Ms Mullane and Mr Lynch was found in blood spatter on a television in the house.

Police believe Mr Lynch drove a van into Enniskillen on 11 October and visited a jetty, and that he travelled at hours when he said he had been knocked out, to hide evidence and the victim's body. A boat at Carrybridge has been located and is due to be forensically examined. A phone containing several SIM cards, one of which held a number used on Ms Mullane's benefit registration, was taken from Mr Lynch when he was arrested.

Mr Lynch told the court he had not seen Ms Mullane since 10 October and denied harming her. He said she owed money to unknown persons, and told police he had fallen asleep on the journey and awoke to find her gone, later receiving a Facebook Messenger message saying she was travelling to Derry and ending their relationship. The detective sergeant told the court the message was "not typically how she would speak in messages" and that Mr Lynch had given detectives a different version of events.

Searches continue

Detective Superintendent Richard Thornton, of the PSNI's Serious Crime Branch, said: "Our investigation into locating Carrie remains ongoing. Our inquiries to date have not established her whereabouts and have led us to hold serious concern that Carrie may have been murdered sometime after her arrival in Northern Ireland."

He said searches were continuing at a number of locations and that detectives from the PSNI's major investigation team were working closely with colleagues from An Garda Siochana in a bid to bring Ms Mullane home. Police have formally appealed to Mr Lynch by letter to return the victim's body.

Officers are appealing to anyone with information or footage that could assist in finding Ms Mullane to come forward. The investigation remains active, and police have stressed that the two people arrested on Sunday are suspects only at this stage.