CROATIA: ARMS SEIZED IN CROATIA BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DESTINED FOR GUERRILLAS IN NORTHERN IRELAND.

Record ID: 646825

  • Title: CROATIA: ARMS SEIZED IN CROATIA BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DESTINED FOR GUERRILLAS IN NORTHERN IRELAND.
  • Date: 28th July 2000
  • Summary: SPLIT, CROATIA (JULY 13, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. MV/CU: VARIOUS OF ARMS ON DISPLAY (7 SHOTS) 0.21 UNKNOWN LOCATION CLOSE TO CROATIAN/BOSNIAN BORDER (JULY 13, 2000)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 2. GV: EXTERIOR OF HOUSE WITH LAND ROVER 0.25 3. MV/PAN/CU: BOXED ARMS ON DISPLAY WHERE THEY WERE FOUND (4 SHOTS) 0.41 SPLIT, CROATIA (JULY 28, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 4. GV: VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF POLICE HEADQUARTERS 0.47 5. CU: CROATIAN FLAG 0.51 6. GV/PAN/CU: POLICEMAN ENTERING/ POLICE SIGN (3 SHOTS) 1.07 7. CU: (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) LEO TAUBER (SPOKESMAN FOR SPLIT COUNTY POLICE) "We can confirm that members of the Irish police visited Split and we were in contact with them as a part of our usual contacts with west European police aiming at better cooperation in our efforts to prevent international terrorism. Among others, we also discussed the event from two weeks ago when we seized a large amount of weapons. (Do you have any concrete knowledge that these weapons were supposed to go to the IRA (Irish Republican Army).? "At this moment, I wouldn't want to comment on this." 1.44 8. GV/LV: VARIOUS OF SPLIT (3 SHOTS) 1.57 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SPLIT, CROATIA
  • Country: Croatia
  • Reuters ID: LVA30G5BM9ZB04UESU8142PUEEZW
  • Story Text: Missiles, machine guns and explosives seized in Croatia
    on July 13 are now believed to have been destined for Irish
    republican guerrillas opposed to the Northern Ireland peace
    process, Irish police said on Friday.



    A spokesman said Croatian police had intercepted the
    arms earlier this month, arresting several Croatians in the
    port city of Split. Senior Irish police officers then flew to
    Croatia.

    The haul included anti-tank rockets, sub-machine guns,
    commercial explosive and detonating material. It is believed
    the weaponry was destined for Ireland and that dissident
    republicans were involved.

    A Croatian Interior Ministry spokesman said the arms
    appeared to have originated in Bosnia.

    Irish security sources said they believed guerrillas from
    the breakaway 'Real IRA' and 'Continuity IRA' had joined
    forces to buy arms internationally and smuggle them into
    Ireland.

    Following the seizure, one man was arrested in Dundalk,
    close to the Northern Irish border, this week and is being
    detained nearby in Monaghan, police said.

    Leo Tauber a spokesman for Split County police said on
    Friday (July 28) "We can confirm that members of the Irish
    police visited Split and we were in contact with them as a
    part of our usual contacts with west European police aiming at
    better cooperation in our efforts to prevent international
    terrorism. Among others, we also discussed the event from two
    weeks ago when we seized a large amount of weapons. He added
    that he did'nt want to comment on whether he thought the
    weapons had been destined for the IRA (Irish Republican Army).

    Britain and Ireland recently stepped up cooperation to
    crack down on renegade republican guerrillas, who are seen as
    a growing threat to security in both Northern Ireland and
    Britain.

    The Real IRA, which killed 29 people in a car bombing in
    the Northern Irish town of Omagh in August 1998, is believed
    to be intensifying its operations.

    It is suspected of planting a bomb near a London railway
    station last week. Irish police chief Pat Byrne, who on Friday
    met Ronnie Flanagan, the head of Northern Ireland's Royal
    Ulster Constabulary, said recently the group was actively
    recruiting.

    Security sources say Real IRA membership has grown to more
    than 100 since it forged closer ties with the Continuity IRA.

    The Real IRA is officially on ceasefire but sources say its
    members may be acting with the Continuity IRA.

    Both groups are offshoots of the mainstream Irish
    Republican Army, which has fought British rule in Northern
    Ireland for three decades but is now observing a ceasefire.

    It recently opened up several weapons dumps to
    international monitors in a move aimed at shoring up the peace
    process.

    Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble, who has
    criticised the Irish government for not doing enough to rein
    in dissident guerrillas, welcomed news of the arms seizure.



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