PSNI says terrorism threat remains 'substantial' and attacks are 'likely' after Garda intercepts Semtex bomb
The PSNI says the threat from Northern Ireland-related terrorism remains "substantial", and attacks "likely", after Garda intercepted a substantial bomb believed to have been destined for Northern Ireland.
The statement came after two people appeared before courts in Dublin charged with possession of explosives following the seizure near the Border.
Simon O'Donovan, 44, from Dublin appeared before the Special Criminal Court on Saturday charged with possession of explosives after Gardaí stopped and searched a vehicle on the N2 near Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, on Wednesday.
Law student Isobella Perrie Sullivan, 25, from Co Kildare, also appeared before a district court charged with possession of explosives in connection with the investigation.
A PSNI spokesperson said: "The threat level in respect of Northern Ireland Related Terrorism remains at 'Substantial' meaning that an attack is likely."
The spokesperson said the threat level is determined by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), based within MI5, which brings together all UK counter-terrorism specialisms.
The PSNI added that the investigation is being led by An Garda Síochána.
Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck welcomed the arrests and described the explosives recovery as a "significant seizure", saying it demonstrated the close co-operation between the PSNI and Gardaí in tackling violent dissident republican groups.
Former head of the PSNI's Organised Crime Branch and former deputy head of the National Crime Agency, Roy McComb, said the threat assessment remained unchanged following the arrests.
"The most likely security response may be discreet advice to likely targets and a reminder to maintain personal security regimes for police officers, for example," he told the News Letter.
Former senior PSNI officer and UUP leader Jon Burrows said dissident republicans had previously used Semtex from IRA Libyan stockpiles.
"And that is, on balance, the most likely source of this Semtex. It is a political reality check that the Provisional republican movement never fully decommissioned and also that some PIRA members took control of munitions before the Real IRA was formed in 1997.
"It is vital that there is a consistent baseline of counter terrorist patrolling and activity, which is then increased when there is intelligence of a specific threat.”
"It’s vital that senior PSNI officers are always conscious of intelligence gaps - and keep officers vigilant in the lulls between attacks.”
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston also said the obvious source was from the IRA. “The paper wall between those the media describe as dissidents and the mainstream Republican movement has once again been called into question,” he added.
Former UUP leader Lord Empey, who has long campaigned for compensation for victims of Libyan-supplied Semtex, said the seizure raised important questions about the origin of the explosives.
“I hope the Dublin authorities will not turn a blind eye to the source of these explosives as they did to domestically produced explosives during the Troubles," he said.
Former Special Branch officer Dr William Matchett said the Semtex may have been old IRA stocks but asked if old republican networks with foreign powers such as Russia might still be relevant. “Or if it was commercial or military explosives what was it and where was it made?”
Former IRA bomber Shane Paul Doherty said properly stored Semtex remained effective for many years. “Semtex will still explode if detonated properly after decades," he added.