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10-01-2010, 02:10 PM
Real IRA Man Jailed For Gun Smuggling Plot
5:28pm UK, Friday October 01, 2010
Richard Williams, Sky News Online
A terrorist in Northern Ireland has been jailed for 20 years after a gun smuggling plot was exposed in an MI5 sting operation.
Dissident republican Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, 44, of Lurgan, Co Armagh, plotted to import weapons and explosives for the Real IRA (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Real_IRA) from an undercover agent.
Co-accused Dermot Declan Gregory, 42, of Crossmaglen, was sentenced to four years in prison for making a property in Portugal available for the purposes of terrorism.
Mr Justice Anthony Hart told Belfast Crown Court: "Any attempt to purchase and import such a large amount of weapons and explosives for terrorist purposes must be regarded as exceptionally serious because of the potential for murder and destruction on a large scale."
McCaugherty, who said he was the Real IRA's second in command, showed no emotion as he was sentenced.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Oct/Week1/15749672.jpg The judge said Paul McCaugherty was an "active and energetic terrorist"
The court heard he was introduced to a man he knew as Ali, who he believed was a genuine arms dealer, but was actually an MI5 agent.
McCaugherty agreed to buy 100kg of plastic explosives, 28 AK assault rifles, 20 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 10 sniper rifles and two pistols.
During a security service (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/MI5) operation that lasted from August 2004 to June 2006, he agreed pay £90,000 in cash to Ali for the proposed delivery.
The pair met in destinations as far apart as Amsterdam, Bruges and Istanbul.
View Paul McCaugherty undercover agent meetings (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=108338968222534721484.0004918e3cf7989793bba&ll=47.872144,14.589844&spn=20.656607,35.15625&z=4&source=embed) in a larger map
Mr Justice Hart said he was satisfied that at all times McCaugherty was acting as a senior and trusted member of the Real IRA.
He added that although there was never any prospect of McCaugherty obtaining the weapons, the attempt was still exceptionally serious.
McCaugherty's counsel claimed he had been enticed to carry out the actions, but Mr Justice Hart rejected this.
The judge said: "McCaugherty's admissions to Ali reveal he has been an active and energetic terrorist for a considerable period of time and one who was prepared to go to great lengths to obtain weapons."
He imposed concurrent sentences for the gun smuggling plot, membership of a proscribed organisation and for McCaugherty's role in obtaining the restaurant in Portugal.
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Real IRA Man Jailed For Gun Smuggling Plot
5:28pm UK, Friday October 01, 2010
Richard Williams, Sky News Online
A terrorist in Northern Ireland has been jailed for 20 years after a gun smuggling plot was exposed in an MI5 sting operation.
Dissident republican Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, 44, of Lurgan, Co Armagh, plotted to import weapons and explosives for the Real IRA (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Real_IRA) from an undercover agent.
Co-accused Dermot Declan Gregory, 42, of Crossmaglen, was sentenced to four years in prison for making a property in Portugal available for the purposes of terrorism.
Mr Justice Anthony Hart told Belfast Crown Court: "Any attempt to purchase and import such a large amount of weapons and explosives for terrorist purposes must be regarded as exceptionally serious because of the potential for murder and destruction on a large scale."
McCaugherty, who said he was the Real IRA's second in command, showed no emotion as he was sentenced.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Oct/Week1/15749672.jpg The judge said Paul McCaugherty was an "active and energetic terrorist"
The court heard he was introduced to a man he knew as Ali, who he believed was a genuine arms dealer, but was actually an MI5 agent.
McCaugherty agreed to buy 100kg of plastic explosives, 28 AK assault rifles, 20 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 10 sniper rifles and two pistols.
During a security service (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/MI5) operation that lasted from August 2004 to June 2006, he agreed pay £90,000 in cash to Ali for the proposed delivery.
The pair met in destinations as far apart as Amsterdam, Bruges and Istanbul.
View Paul McCaugherty undercover agent meetings (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=108338968222534721484.0004918e3cf7989793bba&ll=47.872144,14.589844&spn=20.656607,35.15625&z=4&source=embed) in a larger map
Mr Justice Hart said he was satisfied that at all times McCaugherty was acting as a senior and trusted member of the Real IRA.
He added that although there was never any prospect of McCaugherty obtaining the weapons, the attempt was still exceptionally serious.
McCaugherty's counsel claimed he had been enticed to carry out the actions, but Mr Justice Hart rejected this.
The judge said: "McCaugherty's admissions to Ali reveal he has been an active and energetic terrorist for a considerable period of time and one who was prepared to go to great lengths to obtain weapons."
He imposed concurrent sentences for the gun smuggling plot, membership of a proscribed organisation and for McCaugherty's role in obtaining the restaurant in Portugal.
Bookmark the story
Real IRA Man Jailed For Gun Smuggling Plot