'Gardaí to quiz ex-agent on IRA murders campaign'

Gardaí are to travel to England to question a former agent about an IRA campaign of torture and murder along the border, it was claimed today.

Detectives from Dundalk will also probe the ex-military operative about houses used by the Provisionals to build bombs at the height of their terror offensive, according to victims’ representatives.

The Families Acting for Innocent Relatives claim the spy, who is in his mid 40s, will be questioned about up to six men believed to be involved in the terror organisation.

It is understood they include west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, the former senior republican who denies being the top British army agent inside the IRA, codename Stakeknife.

William Frazer, spokesman for the south Armagh-based FAIR group, said: “Hopefully his statement will give them enough information to open up an investigation into the allegations we have made.”

Several names of people kidnapped and murdered during the 1980s and early 1990s have been supplied to gardaí.

Photos of houses in Co Louth where many of the victims were interrogated have also been passed to senior officers, Mr Frazer said.

The campaigner, whose father was murdered by republicans during the 1970s, has urged detectives to organise forensic tests on the properties to prove the men he is convinced were responsible did carry out the abductions and killings.

Some of the biggest and most deadly bombs transported into Northern Ireland were also built at these safe houses, he claimed.

Following a year of delicate negotiations, Mr Frazer said gardaí have pledged to investigate his allegations if the ex-mole backs him up.

The potentially key witness is believed to have worked for both RUC Special Branch and military intelligence before quitting the North several years ago.

During his time undercover he allegedly witnessed republican terrorists construct explosives and savagely torture their victims at the properties.

“We know we can get the statement from him, but he’s not prepared to come over to the Republic,” Mr Frazer said.

“This is someone who maybe did 20 years along the border and nobody knows just how much he saw.”