BELFAST: Northern Ireland police seized explosives and munitions during a sweep of militant Irish nationalists yesterday, a week before world leaders including US President Barack Obama travel to the province for the Group of Eight summit.
Police have made a number of arrests of suspected dissident Republicans in recent weeks ahead of the summit, which will take place at a hotel that one militant group said was the target of a car bomb plot in March that was foiled by police.
They arrested a 32-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man yesterday following a search in Londonderry — 100 km north of the G8 summit venue — where the seizure was made.
“Detectives of the serious crime branch conducting a search in the Beechwood area (of Londonderry) in relation to dissident Republican activity have recovered a quantity of munitions and explosives,” a police spokeswoman said.
Security experts say the militants are unlikely to get past the security barrier to attack the G8 hotel itself, but could attempt some kind of attack in the British-ruled province during the two-day summit.
Prominent Irish nationalist Colin Duffy is among a number of suspected dissidents arrested in recent weeks. He was later released.
There have been a number of hoax bomb alerts, including two near the site of the G8 meeting.
REUTERS
