A CRIMINAL who controls a racket in human trafficking and organised prostitution, which was exposed last week after an international police inquiry, financed the Continuity IRA (CIRA).

The criminal has paid “substantial” sums to dissident republicans in the past three years, security sources say. Much of the money is said to have been channelled through a paramilitary figure from Monaghan — who was paid “protection money” by the criminal.

The trafficker is still being sought by Irish security services. Two alleged members of his gang were arrested in Wales last week as police raided a dozen brothels in the republic and Northern Ireland.

The two gang members were charged with human trafficking offences at a Welsh court yesterday. The arrests followed an eight-month investigation, codenamed Abbey, involving Interpol, gardai, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency.

The gang’s connections to the CIRA, the armed wing of Republican Sinn Fein, is said to have helped the prostitution business to flourish. In return for cash, the CIRA offered protection against other pimps and gangs.

A senior intelligence officer says that the suspect and his associates first came to their attention after the murder of Paiche Onyemaechi, 25, an African immigrant whose headless body was found near Piltown, in Kilkenny, in July 2004.

The investigation into her murder found that she had worked as a prostitute in Waterford and Kilkenny. Further inquiries disclosed that she had worked for two Carlow men who ran escort agencies in Munster. Gardai believe her killing was unconnected to the vice industry.

According to intelligence gathered by gardai, the two ran a “relatively” small prostitution service, but this developed into a nationwide operation. Brothels and escort agencies were opened in provincial towns.

“The CIRA played a central role in the expansion. At one point, when the main player opened up an escort service in Louth, he was threatened that he would be killed if he did not shut it down. A senior CIRA figure stepped in and protected him,” said another intelligence source.

“Once the CIRA realised it could generate funds by ‘protecting’ the gang, it began demanding more protection money. How much was donated no one knows, but a lot of money was handed over.”

Operation Abbey was launched after gardai found the illegal sex trade was being controlled by organised crime gangs and paramilitary groups that brought women into the country and coerced them into prostitution.

At least one woman told gardai that she was brought to Ireland on the pretence of working in a hotel.

She said she was sexually assaulted on arrival and told she would be working in a brothel. Another woman said the gang’s leader raped her.

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