SEVEN REAL IRA SUSPECTS AND GUNS ARE SEIZED IN GARDA SWOOP
Seven Real IRA suspects and guns are seized in Garda swoop
By Tom Brady
GARDA anti-terrorist officers were satisfied today they have delivered a major setback to the Real IRA after arresting seven suspects in the heart of the dissident group's support base. Detectives believe the arrests foiled a plan for a paramilitary beating and possibly a shooting in the area. They think the beating was linked to recent drug-dealing there. A sawn-off shotgun, a revolver, ammunition and cartridges were among items seized when heavily-armed gardai raided the Nicholas Street, Dundalk, house on Saturday night.
Also recovered from the house, which had been under observation by gardai, were iron bars, hammers, balaclavas and gloves.
Six of the suspects were detained in the house and a seventh arrested outside in the street in a van.
The group includes a brother of an alleged senior figure in the Real IRA and another distant relative, as well as the sons of two prominent republicans in Co Louth. All were being held last night under section 30 of the Republic's Offences Against the State Act - two in Navan Garda station, two in Balbriggan, two in Ashbourne and one in Dundalk.
They can be held a maximum 72 hours without charge under the anti-terrorist legislation but gardai are confident a number of men will be brought before the courts shortly in connection with the finds. One of those detained had previously been arrested for questioning by gardai in connection with the Omagh bomb atrocity which killed 29 people in August 1998 and was also before the courts on a separate charge.
A large force of local gardai from Louth/Meath division, led by Chief Superintendent Michael Finnegan, and backed up by the Special Branch and Emergency Response Unit, raided the house shortly after 8.30pm.
The operation followed a detailed Garda investigation into the activities of suspected dissident republicans in the area.
It was similar to a spate of arrests last summer when gardai disrupted a group of Real IRA suspects believed to have been planning a punishment beating in an hotel in Co Meath. Last month detectives arrested a group of suspected members of Continuity IRA when they raided a house in Limerick. It was believed the men were also planning a paramilitary attack.
All held last night were aged between 20 and 50 and had been under Garda observation previously.
By Tom Brady
GARDA anti-terrorist officers were satisfied today they have delivered a major setback to the Real IRA after arresting seven suspects in the heart of the dissident group's support base. Detectives believe the arrests foiled a plan for a paramilitary beating and possibly a shooting in the area. They think the beating was linked to recent drug-dealing there. A sawn-off shotgun, a revolver, ammunition and cartridges were among items seized when heavily-armed gardai raided the Nicholas Street, Dundalk, house on Saturday night.
Also recovered from the house, which had been under observation by gardai, were iron bars, hammers, balaclavas and gloves.
Six of the suspects were detained in the house and a seventh arrested outside in the street in a van.
The group includes a brother of an alleged senior figure in the Real IRA and another distant relative, as well as the sons of two prominent republicans in Co Louth. All were being held last night under section 30 of the Republic's Offences Against the State Act - two in Navan Garda station, two in Balbriggan, two in Ashbourne and one in Dundalk.
They can be held a maximum 72 hours without charge under the anti-terrorist legislation but gardai are confident a number of men will be brought before the courts shortly in connection with the finds. One of those detained had previously been arrested for questioning by gardai in connection with the Omagh bomb atrocity which killed 29 people in August 1998 and was also before the courts on a separate charge.
A large force of local gardai from Louth/Meath division, led by Chief Superintendent Michael Finnegan, and backed up by the Special Branch and Emergency Response Unit, raided the house shortly after 8.30pm.
The operation followed a detailed Garda investigation into the activities of suspected dissident republicans in the area.
It was similar to a spate of arrests last summer when gardai disrupted a group of Real IRA suspects believed to have been planning a punishment beating in an hotel in Co Meath. Last month detectives arrested a group of suspected members of Continuity IRA when they raided a house in Limerick. It was believed the men were also planning a paramilitary attack.
All held last night were aged between 20 and 50 and had been under Garda observation previously.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0813
Published Date: 07-Jan-02
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