GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING a gang suspected of being involved in the production and use of pipe bombs have found what they believe is an INLA-run bomb-making facility in an apartment.
Five men were arrested yesterday morning in the Park West development in Dublin 10. Gardaí believe some of the men were teaching others to make bombs.
The targeted gang is headed by a leading member of the INLA in Dublin who is in prison.
Over the past two years the gang has been using pipe bombs to extort money from Dublin drug dealers. It has been using the bombs to take control of parts of Dublin's south inner city drugs market by targeting a major drugs gang from that area.
Gardaí believe the gang has also been selling devices to other crime syndicates.
The arrests of the INLA gang leader's five associates yesterday followed an intelligence led operation by the Special Detective Unit (SDU), which specialises in investigating subversive groups.
The SDU raided the apartment at Park West just after 1.30am.
The five men were in the apartment at the time. Three of the men have addresses in Dublin's Fairview, Kimmage and the north inner city areas. Another is from Monaghan town, while the fifth is from the North.
The men can be held for up to 72 hours without charge.
Gardaí found piping and explosives, which they believe was being used to make pipe bombs. Wiring, batteries and tools were also found.Garda sources said that some of the men were being taught bomb- making by the others. None of the devices was viable.
Explosive powder was found and tests were being carried out last night to determine its origin.
Recently, pipe bombs have been made using powder from shotgun cartridges and fireworks.
When gardaí realised what they had found in the apartment they requested assistance from the Army's bomb disposal experts.
They arrived at Park West at about 2.30am and the area was declared safe at 3.30am.
Members of the Garda Technical Bureau examined the scene yesterday.
Gardaí are hopeful the arrests will hinder the INLA in Dublin, which has clashed with a number of Dublin drug dealers recently.
One of the drug dealers targeted by INLA pipe bombs is the leader of one of two feuding drugs gangs from the Crumlin and Drimnagh areas. The feud has claimed at least 11 lives in eight years.
Last year the INLA gang had become so prolific in using and supplying pipe bombs that a specialist Garda operation was established to investigate the gang's leader. He was arrested and is in prison. When released from an earlier sentence almost two years ago he immediately began using pipe bombs, and in some cases hand grenades, for extortion purposes.
Last year the INLA gang leader was one of a group of people arrested at a house in Tallaght.
Gardaí found a suspected drug dealer stripped naked, bound and beaten in the bathroom. Gardaí believe the INLA-led gang were trying to extort money from him. The victim was too scared to make a statement to gardaí.