A major excavation at an overgrown plot of land in Chapelizod is expected to get under way this morning as the search for Trevor Deely, who disappeared after a night out in Dublin nearly 17 years ago, enters a new and critical phase.

Trevor’s brother Mark is a businessman in Castlebar.

The search for Trevor Deely has zoned in on a wasteland after gardaí investigating his disappearance received intelligence suggesting he was murdered by a known criminal.

The investigating team is also treating as credible information claiming to know the exact spot where Mr Deely’s body is buried.

The criminal, and others close to him, was involved in the drugs trade and other serious crime. Mr Deely, who was 22 and working as an employee of Bank of Ireland when he vanished on his way home from an office party in the early hours of December 8th, 2000, was not known to the people gardaí suspect killed him and concealed his body.