Dissident republicans smuggling guns to Britain, claims O’Dea

DISSIDENT republican paramilitaries are fuelling gun crime on the streets of Britain by smuggling weapons from Ireland to sell to gangs, Justice Minister Willie O’Dea claimed yesterday.

Mr O’Dea said elements of the Real IRA and Continuity IRA appeared to be in contact with gangs in English cities such as Manchester.

He said that guns were being smuggled from the Limerick area, which was recently flooded with weapons as the dissident groups got involved in a feud between criminal gangs fighting for control of the drugs trade.