23/06/2006

Three remanded over terror charges

Three people arrested following a police operation into dissident republican activity on Monday, have been remanded in custody.

Desmond Kearns, 41, his wife Alison Patricia Kearns, 37, from Tannaghmore Green, Lurgan, were charged with procuring weapons in Belfast Magistrates Court today, and Michael Dermot Gregory, 37, of Concession Road, Crossmaglen, was charged with making assets available.

Mr Kearns was also charged with conspiring to possess weapons includings AK-47s, sniper rifles, pistols, silencers, heavy machine guns and various types of ammunition, and was also charged with conspiring to possess anti-tank armour-piercing weapons, plastic explosives, detonating devices and RPGs.

Mrs Kearns was charged with inviting another person to provide weapons intending they should be used.

Mr Gregory was charged with arranging for the assets of a commercial property to be used for terrorism.

All three have been remanded in custody for one month.

The charges relate to a police operation investigating dissident republican activity, which was carried out in Counties Armagh and Fermanagh on Monday.

Further inquiries connected to the anti-terrorism operation were carried out in France.

A woman who was also being questioned in relation to the operation, has been released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service, while police have been granted more time to question three other people.

(EF/SP)

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