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Member of British forces arrested over alleged Northern Ireland terrorism offences Royal Marine arrested in security operation after NI arms dumps find
(about 5 hours later)
Police have arrested a serving member of Britain’s armed forces for alleged involvement in preparing acts of terrorism, which may have been part of a plot to attack a target in England. Security officials trying to stop Irish terrorists staging attacks against Britain ordered the arrest of a serving member of the Royal Marines.
The man detained is believed to be a Royal Marine. Officers from Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command made the arrest on Wednesday at 12.20pm. It is believed to be linked to Northern Ireland-related terrorism. There were also searches of woodlands in rural south Devon suspected of containing bombs and weapons smuggled from arms stores in Ulster.
The suspect, aged 30, was arrested in Somerset. Police said searches were under way in “a wooded area in south Devon” and in Northern Ireland. A dramatic day of activity in which a 30-year-old marine was arrested and a security operation spanning a swath of the south of Britain and Northern Ireland was carried out involving four police forces and the domestic intelligence service, MI5.
The searches were for materials linked to republican terrorism, which are usually weapons or material related to explosives. Officers are potentially looking for storage dumps where material that could be used in an attack may have been hidden. It is understood the genesis of Wednesday’s flurry of activity was the discovery in March and then May of arms dumps in County Antrim belonging to dissident republicans, called the New IRA, which police in Northern Ireland had hailed as significant. The weapons caches were discovered by chance by members of the public and among the deadly items concealed sometimes in barrels were pipe bombs, magazines and ammunition for an assault rifle, and anti-personnel mines.
In a statement, police said: “Today’s arrest was pre-planned and intelligence-led as part of an investigation into Northern Ireland-related terrorism being led by SO15 in collaboration with Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the South West counter-terrorism intelligence unit. No armed police were involved in today’s arrest. The find and subsequent inquiries led security officials to decide in May that the threat to the British mainland from Irish terrorism needed to be raised to substantial and a race was begun to trace all those connected to the arms dumps before they could stage attacks.
At 12.20pm on Wednesday, police arrested the marine in Somerset for alleged involvement in preparing acts of terrorism. Police said searches were under way in “a wooded area in south Devon” and in Northern Ireland.
The searches in south Devon were for materials linked to republican terrorism, such as weapons or material related to explosives, which may have come from the terrorist haul linked to the finds in Co Antrim. Officers are potentially looking for storage dumps where material that could be used in an attack may have been hidden.
In a statement, police said: “Today’s arrest was preplanned and intelligence-led as part of an investigation into Northern Ireland-related terrorism being led by SO15 [Met’s counter-terrorism command] in collaboration with Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the south west counter-terrorism intelligence unit. No armed police were involved in today’s arrest.
“The public can be reassured that there is no intelligence to suggest an immediate threat to our communities.”“The public can be reassured that there is no intelligence to suggest an immediate threat to our communities.”
The arrest is understood to be linked to two suspected dissident republican arsenals uncovered in forest parks in Northern Ireland earlier this year. Two separate hauls of weapons were discovered in Carnfunnock and Capanagh parks near Larne, Co Antrim, within three months of each other. Past targets for dissident republicans in Northern Ireland have been figures of the state such as prison officers, military and police officers.
An armour-piercing improvised rocket and two anti-personnel mines were among the cache recovered at Capanagh in May. Several pipe bombs, magazines and ammunition for an assault rifle, as well as bomb component parts and command wires, were also concealed in barrels in purpose-built holes in woodland. The threat from dissident republican terrorism has become increasingly potent and they are gaining in the capability to stage attacks in England and other parts of the UK, as well as Northern Ireland.
In March, bomb-making items were found at nearby Carnfunnock country park. Police said four barrels were unearthed at Carnfunnock – two barrels were empty but two others contained a variety of bomb-making components, including wiring, toggle switches, circuit boards, partially constructed timer power units, ball bearings and a small quantity of explosives. The arrest is understood to be linked to the two suspected dissident republican arsenals uncovered in Carnfunnock and Capanagh parks near Larne within three months of each other.
An armour-piercing improvised rocket and two anti-personnel mines were among the cache recovered at Capanagh in May.
Police said four barrels were unearthed at Carnfunnock – two barrels were empty but two others contained a variety of bomb-making components, including wiring, toggle switches, circuit boards, partially constructed timer power units, ball bearings and a small quantity of explosives.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: “We are aware of a police investigation involving the arrest of a member of the armed forces under the 2000 Terrorism Act and will assist this investigation fully. It would be inappropriate to comment further on an ongoing investigation.”In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: “We are aware of a police investigation involving the arrest of a member of the armed forces under the 2000 Terrorism Act and will assist this investigation fully. It would be inappropriate to comment further on an ongoing investigation.”
The threat level to the UK mainland from Irish-related terrorism is substantial. PSNI searches on Wednesday were focussed on a stretch of terraced homes on the Old Glenarm Road in Larne.
The fact police chiefs decided there was no need to send armed officers suggests they did not believe the suspect had access to a firearm.The fact police chiefs decided there was no need to send armed officers suggests they did not believe the suspect had access to a firearm.
Four forces were involved in the investigation, as well as the domestic security service MI5. The timing of the arrest was unusual. Police usually prefer to mount counter-terrorism raids in the early morning, for the element of surprise and to minimise the chances of a suspect fleeing. The timing of the arrest was unusual. Police usually prefer to mount counter-terrorism raids in the early morning, for the element of surprise and to minimise the chances of a suspect fleeing.
Devon and Cornwall police were helping counter-terrorism police search the south Devon woods, while Avon and Somerset officers were helping with searches of an address in Somerset.Devon and Cornwall police were helping counter-terrorism police search the south Devon woods, while Avon and Somerset officers were helping with searches of an address in Somerset.
The police operations in England was led by SO15.