William Maughan and his Latvian partner Anna Varslavane were last seen on April 14 in County Meath and their disappearance was reconstructed on Irish television last week.

His family claim that they received a call from Ms Varslavane on the day in question, where she was heard crying "help, help, help".

A worried relative heard the sound of choking down the line, along with voices in the background they did not recognise.

The phone call was made minutes before the couple were due to meet up with Mr Maughan's mother - but they never showed up.

Gardaí are still running a missing persons investigation, and have refused to comment on whether they believe the pair have been killed.

But according to the Irish Independent, detectives have received "reliable intelligence" that they were murdered by five members of a drug gang - and the ringleader is already the prime suspect for another killing in the region.

Mr Maughan's father, Joseph, told the newspaper his son "knew something that he should not have known" amid reports that new information could help police locate their bodies.

He added: "We know that they are both gone and just want them back so that we can give them a Christian funeral."