AN arms find in Co Armagh may have been part of a cache belonging to the Provisional IRA.
Four suspected pipe bombs and working parts of a firearm were recovered after a major search operation, involving the PSNI and Navy, in Portadown yesterday.
It is believed the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units and a specialist PSNI search team were involved in the search along the Corcrain River close to the People’s Park off the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road.
PSNI Inspector Leslie Badger confirmed there may be an historical link to the find.
“The investigation is at a an early stage and we are working to establish how old the items are and whether this find is linked to historic terrorist activity,” he said.
UUP assembly member Doug Beattie last night said he believed the equipment belonged to republicans “whether that’s IRA or other dissident groups after the ceasefire”.
“Until the police have conducted their forensic analysis it’s hard to come up with a definite answer,” said the Upper Bann MLA.
“Whether these are old or new weapons that the police have put these things out of the way and they are no longer a danger,” he said.
Mr Beattie believes police may have tipped off about the arms dump.
“It is clear the PSNI have credible intelligence that some explosive ordnance may well have been dumped in the river or the surrounding area,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the PSNI said yesterday’s operation “involved a specialist police search team and military colleagues including the Navy who had the specialist skills required for this type of search operation”.
