Gardai in Galway have released one of the two women they were questioning in connection with an attempt to smuggle guns into Ireland from the United States. Two others, a man and a woman, who where were detained in Inverin in Connemara yesterday are still being held. Their initial 24 hour period of detention was extended for a further 24 hours at 4 o'clock this afternoon.
The investigation involves the Gardaí, the British police and the FBI. The three were arrested in South Connemara yesterday and were held under the Offences Against the State Act. Two of those arrested, a man and a woman, are from Belfast, and the third is a local woman. Three other people have been before a court in Florida and another man has been arrested in Philadelphia.
The guns and ammunition, which were seized in a raid on a house in the Inveran area of Connemara, were put on display at the West Galway Garda Headquarters this afternoon. The haul included three Austrian-made Glock .40 automatic pistols and 3 US Ruger Magnum .357 revolvers. The six handguns were concealed in a toy tractor and in a video recorder. Gardaí say that the guns are often used by criminal gangs and subversives as they are deadly accurate at close range and are designed for easy concealment and use.
The guns and about 150 rounds of ammunition were posted in the US and arrived in Galway yesterday. The two parcels arrived at this rented holiday cottage at Inveran, about 20 miles west of Galway City. Gardaí, who had been working with police in the US and in the UK, swooped on the house and arrested a local woman and a husband and wife from Belfast who arrived at the house while the operation was in progress. Gardaí are still unwilling to speculate on the identity of the paramilitary group for whom the guns and ammunition were intended.
The latest arrest was made in Philadelphia, where Belfast-born Martin Mullan was charged with offences under the US Arms Export Control Act. Sources close to the investigation have not ruled out further arrests in the coming days. Officials in Florida remain tight-lipped about what has become a transatlantic inquiry.
However, court documents reveal that British airport authorities intercepted two separate shipments of weapons, eight packages containing guns and ammunition, were discovered on July 6th and another two packages on 17 July. Federal agents in Florida are still trying to find out where some of the guns in the second shipment were purchased.
They know that most of weapons were sold by three gun dealers along the east coast of Florida between late April and early May. The largest single deal involved twenty-six handguns and six shotguns, worth approximately £10,000. An affidavit, filed by the FBI, says that the suspects in this case wanted to buy numerous high-powered weapons and concealable guns from one of dealers, but it appears they never completed the transaction.
Three of the suspects were arrested on Monday in Florida. Siobhan Brown, Anthony Smyth, and Conor Anthony Claxton are due to appear in a Fort Lauderdale court for a second time tomorrow. A fourth suspect, Belfast born Martin Mullan, was arrested in Philadelphia last night. They have been charged under America's arms export control act and each faces a prison sentence of 20 years if convicted.
