Military weapons were imported by three young friends from darknet

This G3 Heckler & Koch military rifle, capable of semi-automatic and fully automatic fire, was among the weapons and ammo seized by gardaí in Kildare on Saturday. 

Gardaí have described as “very concerning” the arrest of three young friends caught with a military assault rifle, a semi-automatic handgun, and rounds of ammunition bought on the darknet.

Specialist intelligence and gangland units are examining the men’s motivation. The men, aged 19, 20, and 21, have no criminal history and no known links to gangland figures, the Irish Examiner understands. They are all friends and live in Co Wicklow with their parents.

Investigations have not found that the men have extremist beliefs or associations — but the examination of their phones, laptops, and social media activity will take time.

Gardaí are alarmed not only that these young men, with no criminal background, were in possession of high-powered weaponry, but also that it is available online and could be ordered by an extremist.

Rounds of ammunition that gardaí discovered along with a M1911 handgun and a G3 rifle when they stopped a vehicle in Kildare on Saturday morning. Picture: An Garda Síochána/PA

Garda Security and Intelligence learned of the importation and a controlled delivery operation began, with a surveillance team in place.

That was backed up by elite armed officers from the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) and detectives from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. 

The three youths travelled by car early on Saturday to collect their consignment and were on their way home, travelling through Kildare, when the ERU conducted a forced stop at 10am.

On searching the car, gardaí recovered a G3 rifle — a Heckler & Koch military rifle capable of semi-automatic and fully automatic fire — as well as an M1911 semi-automatic handgun and 40 rounds of ammunition.

The suspects were detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and are due in court today to face charges. 

One security source said: 

The three young fellas might have been messing or thought they wouldn’t get away with it — but they did and had armed gardaí in their faces on the roadside.

Another source said: “It’s a weird one: Young lads with no criminal history, but with a fascination with guns and history and wanting to fire the guns.”

Gardaí are investigating what, if anything, the suspects wanted the guns for, apart from test firing them.

“We can’t see any links to any other group — there’s no extremist connections identified, yet, anyway,” a source said. “That’s all being explored, but it appears to be a product of too much time playing war games.

An M1911 handgun which was discovered along with a G3 rifle and 40 rounds of ammunition. Three men aged 19, 20, and 21, were arrested in relation to possession of firearms and were detained at Garda stations in Co Kildare. Picture: An Garda Síochána/PA

“Whatever the case, they are a very naïve crew as they have got themselves into very serious trouble.”

Gardaí say the high power of the weapons, combined with ammunition, makes this a very serious offence.

It is not yet clear what firearms offence has been committed, but they all attract extensive sentences, before mitigation.

Officers are examining the suspects’ backgrounds, as well as their online activity, including who or what sites they followed and any relevant posts they made.

Their mobile phones, laptops, and other digital devices have been removed for examination and their banking activity probed. Inquiries are being made to see if they were involved in gun clubs or airsoft.

“The focus of the inquiries is their motivation,” said a security source.

Another source said there was also a broader concern: “It’s scary and very, very concerning, that these guys, these unknowns, were willing to try this, but it’s also the fact these weapons are available online, so what if someone with sinister motivations got them?”