British marine officer arrested over suspected terror plot

LONDON, Aug 24 (KUNA) -- The British police announced Wednesday that a Royal Marine officer was arrested in connection with a suspected plot to carry out a terrorist attack in Northern Ireland.
The man, identified as Ciaran Maxwell, 30 years, is held in Somerset, southwest England, as part of major counter-terrorism operation across Northern Ireland and southern Britain.
The British intelligence service (MI5) and other police organs take part in the operation and the interrogations with the suspects, the BBC reported, citing a police statement.
"Today's arrest was planned and intelligence-led as part of an investigation into Northern Ireland-related terrorism in collaboration with Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the south west counter-terrorism intelligence unit," the statement said.
The interrogations involved people in close contact with Maxwell and the seizure of their computers and mobile phones.
The searches spanned across woodland in rural south Devon suspected of containing weapons smuggled by Irish Republican Army (IRA) elements from Ulster, law-enforcers believe. (end) mrn.gb