Gardaí share images of weapons seized from Douglas gun-making workshop

A pistol seized during garda searches of a domestic residence in Douglas earlier this week. Picture: An Garda Síochána/Facebook

Gardaí have published images of the significant tranche of weapons seized from a residential home in a Cork City suburb earlier this week.

On Tuesday evening off-duty gardaí saw a vehicle acting suspiciously in the Lisanisky area of Mallow.

Ammunition and shotgun cartridges seized by gardaí. Picture: An Garda Síochána/ Facebook

After stopping and searching the vehicle, gardaí discovered and seized three suspected firearms and ammunition, as well as a quantity of cocaine.

A man, aged in his 40s, was then arrested and brought to a garda station in Co Cork for questioning under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939. 

Gardaí based in Cork City conducted follow-up searches at a house in Douglas over the following two days resulting in the seizure of a significant trance of firearms and firearms components, as well as ammunition,  shotgun cartridges, and various other items.

The man has been described by some sources as a “gun enthusiast” who bought deactivated parts of weapons from abroad and then reassembled and reactivated them in his "workshop". Detectives are now in the process trying to trace the origin of the decommissioned weapons recovered.

Ammunition seized during the garda searches earlier this week. Picture: An Garda Síochána/Facebook

Gardaí also recovered what they suspected were improvised explosive devices and called the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit to attend the scene.

The garda Special Detective Unit, which investigates security threats, is understood to have travelled from Dublin to Cork to join the local investigation.

On Friday, gardaí shared some images of the weapons seized, including a large amount of bullets and shotgun cartridges, a Smith and Wesson revolver, and what appears to be a Russian Makarov pistol.

A revolver seized during the searches. Picture: An Garda Síochána/ Facebook

A garda spokesperson told the Irish Examiner that the firearms and components seized are now being subjected to detailed forensic and ballistic examination.

"Investigations are ongoing," the spokesperson said.