Gardai will this evening, Sunday, 23rd May, 2010, at 6.30pm, seek an extension of time to allow them to continue questioning two dissidents arrested at 7pm yesterday evening at Mount Pleasant, outside Dundalk. The two dissidents, one a former senior PIRA bomb maker now in his 50s were found in possession of two six foot long gas cylinders, these gas cylinders are normally used by weilders. The two cylinders had been heavily engineered in a similar fashion to such weapons used by the PIRA in the early 1990s. The cylinders were to be packed with explosives at the next phase of the bomb making process. However, the home made mix of diesel and high nitrogen fertiliser were not found at the site last evening, this would be normal that the bomb/mortar housing is prepared at a different site from the actual explosives.
Under Section 30 of the Offences Against The State Act the Detectives interviewing the detained men must seek an order from a Garda not below the rank of Superintendent to extend the initial 24 hour detention by a further 24 hours. This will happen this evening at 6.30pm as both men are refusing at this point to answer any questions in relation to the find.
The men have already had their clothes sent to the forensic lab, their photos/finger-prints and DNA samples taken. All interviews are being recorded.
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