Three men arrested in Lancashire after an arms find thought to be connected to dissident republican activity were yesterday transferred to a police station in London where they are being questioned by anti-terrorist police.
It is understood one of the three has strong links with Limerick and may have visited the city as recently as last week, according to local Garda sources.
The men were arrested on Sunday after a search of commercial premises in Morecambe.
Two handguns and a rifle thought to be linked to dissident republicans and criminal activity in Limerick were recovered in the search.
The three were transferred from Lancashire yesterday to a central London police station where they can be held for up to seven days under the Terrorism Act, 2000.
"The Metropolitan Police Service along with members of the anti-terrorist branch have taken over the investigation following the arrest of three men in Lancashire on Sunday," said a spokeswoman for the London Met.
According to gardaí, the arrests were part of a joint operation involving gardaí and English police investigating criminal activity in Limerick and the activities of dissident republicans and the Continuity IRA.
Gardaí are liaising with Scotland Yard and the Lancashire police.