Colombia names arrested IRA suspects

Colombia has released the names of three suspected members of the IRA arrested in Bogota.

Two of the men have been identified as Martin McCauley and James Monaghan.

The third man, claimed to be the most high-ranking of the three, has not been officially identified, but travelled under the name David Bracken.

Officials say that since 1998, he has entered other Latin American countries including Venezuela, Panama and Nicaragua. The three entered Colombia with false passports at the end of June.

The three were arrested after getting off a flight from San Vicente del Caguan. They had intended to board a plane bound for Paris.

They had allegedly been training Colombian guerrillas in explosives tactics.

Officials claim forensic tests on their clothing has turned up traces of four different kinds of explosives and cocaine.

Defence minister Gustavo Bell said the three men were captured on Saturday after allegedly spending five weeks training members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Colombia's army commander, General Jorge Mora, said that British officials had claimed that the three were members of an IRA unit that specialised in explosives and arms manufacturing.

An official from the federal prosecutor's office said the three could be tried for providing training in explosives tactics, and could receive jail terms of up to 20 years if convicted.

It is not known whether the British Government will seek their extradition.