A woman has been charged after Gardaí intercepted what has been described as one of the most sophisticated dissident republican bombs recovered in recent years during a major counter-terrorism operation near the Irish border.
The woman, who is in her 20s, appeared before a special sitting of Trim District Court on Friday evening after being charged in connection with the seizure of the fully assembled explosive device.
She was driving the vehicle in which the suspected bomb was discovered when Gardaí carried out the operation.
Bomb ‘ready for use’
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly described the device as “extremely significant”, revealing it was fully assembled and ready to be deployed.
Investigators said the bomb contained military-grade explosives, a detonator and a power unit, making it considerably more sophisticated than other dissident republican devices seized in recent years.
Officers believe it was being transported into Northern Ireland and was intended to be used as an under-vehicle explosive device.
Second suspect remains under investigation
A man in his 40s was also arrested during the operation and remains under investigation.
The investigation is being led by the Garda Special Detective Unit, with support from the Irish Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, whose specialists made the device safe before it was removed for detailed forensic examination.
Cross-border investigation
Irish authorities are working closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) as part of an ongoing cross-border counter-terrorism investigation.
Detectives are continuing to establish the origins of the device, its intended target and whether others were involved in the suspected plot.
Commissioner warns of continuing extremist threat
Speaking after the operation, Commissioner Kelly warned that dissident republican groups continue to pose a significant security risk despite the peace process.
He said young people are still being radicalised by extremist organisations, describing the threat from dissident republican terrorism as an ongoing concern more than two decades after the Good Friday Agreement.
The investigation remains ongoing. The woman is now before the courts, and further proceedings will take place in due course.
Originally published by UKNIP.
