Weapons Smuggling Ireland

More than 6,500 troops and police hunted for a massive Irish Republican Army weapons cache believed smuggled into the Irish Republic in four boatloads from the Mediterranean region in the last two years. Irish Justice Minister Gerry Collins said three shipments were loaded off the islands of Malta and Gozo and one was loaded off the shores of Libya. However, he said there was no proof that Libya was the supplier.

Three men were convicted Tuesday of shipping weapons to Ireland but acquitted of the most serious charges against them. Conor Claxton, Martin Mullan and Anthony Smyth were acquitted on charges of shipping weapons to terrorists and conspiracy to maim or murder people in a foreign country. If they had been convicted of the more serious charges, they could have faced up to life in prison.

Three men were convicted Tuesday of shipping weapons to Ireland but acquitted of the most serious charges against them. Conor Claxton, Martin Mullan and Anthony Smyth were acquitted on charges of shipping weapons to terrorists and conspiracy to maim or murder people in a foreign country. If they had been convicted of the more serious charges, they could have faced up to life in prison.

Detectives searching for arms smuggled from Libya to the Irish Republican Army found a two-ton cache of guns and ammunition, Irish police said. The team found an arms bunker measuring 30 feet by 15 feet on a farm in Newmarket, 140 miles southwest of Dublin. It held more than 50 Kalashnikov assault rifles, a heavy machine gun and ammunition. Irish police have been searching the southwest of the country for weapons and plastic explosives shipped from Libya to the IRA in 1985 and 1986.

Detectives searching for arms smuggled from Libya to the Irish Republican Army found a two-ton cache of guns and ammunition, Irish police said. The team found an arms bunker measuring 30 feet by 15 feet on a farm in Newmarket, 140 miles southwest of Dublin. It held more than 50 Kalashnikov assault rifles, a heavy machine gun and ammunition. Irish police have been searching the southwest of the country for weapons and plastic explosives shipped from Libya to the IRA in 1985 and 1986.

More than 6,500 troops and police hunted for a massive Irish Republican Army weapons cache believed smuggled into the Irish Republic in four boatloads from the Mediterranean region in the last two years. Irish Justice Minister Gerry Collins said three shipments were loaded off the islands of Malta and Gozo and one was loaded off the shores of Libya. However, he said there was no proof that Libya was the supplier.