Fears as number of hoax bomb incidents soar

THERE has been a sharp rise in the number of hoax bomb incidents this year.

Army explosive experts have been called out to 20 hoax bomb attacks so far in 2008, as well as eight viable bomb incidents.

The total for this year includes two hoax incidents overnight on Tuesday.

The tally marks an upsurge on last year, when there were only 11 hoax bomb incidents in total.

A spokesman for the defence forces said there was no figure for the number of viable bombs last year.

Hoax bombs are made to resemble a real bomb, but do not contain explosives.

“Many of the hoaxes may appear to the untrained eye to be an explosive device,” said the defence forces spokesman.

Hoax devices are typically homemade and are being increasingly used by criminals against rival gangs and to threaten particular individuals.

Examination of the devices have shown similarities between some of them, indicating that gangs are buying the devices off the same bomb-makers.

Security officers suspect that the INLA and other paramilitary groups are behind many of the devices.

In the first incident on Tuesday, gardaí were called out to a suspicious object at Rutland Grove in Crumlin, at 10.50pm on Tuesday. The device was the fifth bomb incident in Crumlin so far this year, which are thought to be linked with feuds in the south Dublin area.

The area was sealed off and the army explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) team was contacted. The defence forces spokesman said the EOD team arrived at 11.40pm, examined the device and found no explosive content. The team gave the all-clear at 12.10am on Wednesday.

The team was then sent to nearby Rathmines, where a suspicious package was found under a vehicle on Upper Rathmines Road. That device was also a hoax and the all-clear was given at 1.20am.

The devices were not similar.