Three questioned after arms find

Three men were being questioned by police in the Irish Republic today following the seizure of a large quantity of arms.

Three men are being questioned by gardaí in Cork today following the seizure of a large quantity of arms.

The arrests and seizures were made in Cork city late last night.

A spokeswoman for the Gardaí said: “The arrests were made as a result of an intelligence-led operation and involved the attempted purchase of a sizeable quantity of firearms and other high powered weaponry.”

The arrests were the culmination of a long operation involving dozens of detectives and uniformed police, backed up by members of Ireland’s elite Emergency Response Unit and the National Surveillance Unit.

The operation was against criminal elements rather than members of any paramilitary group, according to sources.

The arrested men, two in their 20s and one in his 30s, have been detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be held for up to 72 hours before being charged or released.

The seizure was made in the Glanmire and Dunkathel area on the eastern side of Cork.