Two far-right suspects arrested in terrorism-related investigation were 'intent on minority attack'
By Bairbre Holmes, PA
The two men who were arrested in Co Laois on Wednesday as part of a terrorism-related investigation were far-right suspects "intent on a minority attack", according to The Irish Times.
The arrests on Wednesday were the first of their kind in any operation targeting the far right in the State.
The pair, in their 30s and 40s, were detained after gardaí stopped a vehicle and seized a number of items.
Pipe ends and sealant, at least one bulletproof vest, cable ties, hatchets, knives, and a Tricolour were discovered, The Irish Times reports.
Local residents were evacuated and ammunition technical officers (ATO) were called to a house in Annalong, Co Down, when Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers working with gardaí found suspect devices.
The PSNI said officers from the Serious Crime Branch initially discovered a number of suspicious objects inside the house in the Kilhorne Green area, before uncovering four suspect devices in the garden.
ATOs were called to examine the devices and local residents were evacuated from their homes as part of a public safety operation.
It was a planned search carried out under the Terrorism Act and the suspected devices and items, including laptops, were removed for further examination.
The residents have since returned to their homes.
The two men who were arrested are being held in the Irish midlands under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
The PSNI’s Detective Chief Inspector McCallum said: “This is an example of successful cross-border working with our colleagues from An Garda Síochána.”
Assistant Commissioner Michael McElgunn, of the Garda National Crime and Security Intelligence Service, said: “An Garda Síochána is committed to identifying, assessing and countering security threats to our communities.
“This ongoing operation demonstrates the close working relationships An Garda Síochána has with our colleagues in the Police Service of Northern Ireland to investigate and interdict threats across the island of Ireland, keeping people safe.”
