Gardai close in on arrests as Sliabh Liag evidence builds

Gardaí are closing in on the arrest of chief suspects following the death of a man in south-west Donegal.

The man whose body was found in the water off Sliabh Liag on Monday was due to stand trial for smuggling over €6.6 million worth of drugs.

It is likely that the investigation will be upgraded to a murder inquiry after the badly-beaten body was recovered in the early hours of Monday following a week-long search operation.

While gardaí have officially referred to the matter as a ‘serious assault’, a source told Donegal Live that the resources assigned to the case are consistent with a murder probe. 

Two suspects have been identified in a case that has brought a dark cloud over the scenic tourist hotspot.

Gardaí, who have remained tight-lipped, have been keen to build an extensive dossier and sources say that arrests are ‘imminent’.

Officers have garnered substantial CCTV footage from premises in multiple areas of south-west Donegal and several exhibits have been seized, including a blood-splattered car and a blood-soaked blanket.

It is understood that the man at the centre of the investigation is Robert Wilkin, who is aged in his late 60s and originally from County Tyrone.

A post-mortem was carried out by Dr Linda Mulligan, the State Pathologist, at Letterkenny University Hospital on Tuesday - the results of which have not been released due to ‘operational reasons’.

DNA has been taken from members of Mr Wilkin’s family and has been sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. The authorities here are working with the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK in a bid to formally confirm the identity of the remains.

The body is believed to be that of Wilkin, who was due to go before Folkestone Magistrates Court in England later this year.  Wilkin was staying in south-west Donegal recently and was spotted socialising on the weekend he was reported as missing.

Two years ago, Wilkin, then living in Essex, was found with a huge cache of heroin and cocaine hidden in a shipment of chocolates.

His Polish-registered lorry was stopped at the Coquelles Channel Tunnel terminal on August 12, 2021. The cargo was bound for Maidstone when the drugs were found concealed in two pallets of chocolate with 63kg of heroin and 32kg of cocaine located. An official from the NCA described the find as ‘a significant seizure of class A drugs of the type we see being distributed by violent and exploitative street gangs’.

A major multi-agency land and sea search was launched last week after reports that a man who was allegedly assaulted had gone missing. 

Gardaí and the Coast Guard returned to the area on Sunday night and at first light on Monday the body was removed from the scene.

Two people, a man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s, were arrested and questioned at the beginning of last week before being released without charge last Tuesday evening.  A file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). 

The two were in a car which crashed in Fintown. The man was initially arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and was rearrested as he left Letterkenny courthouse on June 26 on suspicion of assault

Garda forensics officers also carried out extensive searches of a property in the Killybegs area.

The Sliabh Liag cliffs were closed to the public for much of last week as gardaí combed the area for clues in an attempt to piece together a complex jigsaw. 

Gardai continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward. 

A spokesperson said: “Any road users travelling in these areas, at this time, who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) are asked to make this footage available to gardaí.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ballyshannon Garda Station on 071 985 8530, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.”