Dad, son held over haul of pipe bombs (Longford town, Ireland)

Here's a novel idea for a father-son bonding activity. Let's put together "ready to go" pipe bombs for feuding crime gangs! Unfortunately, I can't give the UNNAMED DAD credit for this, as his name isn't provided. Yup, great example Daddy set forth here.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/father-and-son-held-over-haul-of-pipe-bombs--for-crime-gangs-1820432.html?service=Print

Father and son held over haul of pipe bombs for crime gangs
By Tom Brady and Eimear Ni Bhraonain

Tuesday July 14 2009

A FATHER and son were in garda custody last night after the discovery of a haul of "ready to go" pipe bombs said to be intended for use by feuding crime gangs.

Officers said that eight pipe bombs were found in a newly built house outside Longford town -- with officers saying they were destined for gangs in Limerick.

Gardai are satisfied that the bombs were being stored in the house, which was being used as a transit point, and had not been manufactured there.

The find was the result of an intelligence-led operation and involved gardai from Longford, Granard and throughout the country.

Following a tip-off, gardai raided the house at Knockanboy, on the Lanesboro Road, three miles from Longford town on Sunday night. They found the deadly haul in a shed at the rear and immediately alerted Army bomb disposal officers.

The scene was sealed off as an Army ordnance officer examined the bombs for almost an hour before giving the all clear.

The devices were removed without a controlled explosion and taken to Custume Barracks in Athlone for further examination before being handed over to the Garda Technical Bureau for additional tests.

Last night, the gardai were hopeful that they might be able to glean some information about the manufacture of the bombs and determine if they were linked to other similar devices.

Officers described the pipe bombs as viable and said they all contained explosive and other components necessary to make up a lethal device.

"This is a very significant haul and their capture may have prevented serious injury and, possibly even death, as a result", one added.

Two men, aged 44 and 18, were detained by gardai shortly after the find and were taken to Longford garda station for questioning.

The two were still being detained for questioning last night under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be held without charge for up to 72 hours.

Both men are from Edgeworthstown, Co Longford, and have not been connected by gardai to serious criminal activity in the past.

As part of the follow-up inquiries yesterday, gardai raided the homes of the suspects and interviewed some known associates.

Officers later said they were satisfied the pipe bombs would have been used by serious crime gangs in Limerick. They had earlier ruled out their use in the midlands because of the amount involved. A pipe bomb had previously been found in Athlone but was believed to have had a Dublin connection.

One officer said last night: "This is an unusual departure. Pipe bomb attacks and hoax devices have become a regular occurrence in Dublin and Limerick but a find like this in Longford is out of the blue."

Gardai are aware that pressure on criminal figures in Limerick and Dublin has forced gangs to move their storage depots out of their usual haunts into surrounding counties.