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Republican “deliberate and ruthless” Republicans have attached a bomb to a truck in Co Armagh, police said.
Detective Superintendent Sean Wright of the PSNI Terrorism Investigation Unit said they did so “knowing and expecting that this would expose the driver of this vehicle, road users and the general public to a serious risk of injury and possible death.”
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The explosive device was discovered on Tuesday at the Silverwood Industrial Estate in Lurgan.
The Northern Irish Police Service (PSNI) has now announced that the bomb was found after a series of searches that began in Belfast Harbor on Friday 31 January.
The police received a report that evening that an explosive device was in a truck at the port and was about to take the ferry to Scotland.
Det Supt Wright said that based on this information, “the police conducted port area controls and worked with the ferry company, Belfast Harbor authorities and Police Scotland to try to locate this device.
“After thorough checks, nothing was found. The ferry drove and arrived safely in Scotland, ”he said.
On Monday evening, he said that the police had received another report that the explosive device had been attached to a truck from a well-known freight forwarder.
“This more detailed information allowed the police to conduct targeted investigations with the carrier,” he said.
“On Monday evening, February 3, and Tuesday, February 4, the police and the transport company in the region eliminated 400 vehicles to locate the detonator.
“The device was then found attached to a truck in the Silverwood Industrial Estate. This explosive device was brought to safety. ”
Det Supt Wright said the information available to the police indicated that Republican dissidents intentionally and ruthlessly attached explosives to a truck.
“If this vehicle has been driven and the device has exploded anywhere along the M1, over the Westlink or into the Harbor Estate, the associated risks need not be taken into account.
“The only conclusion we can draw is that the Republican dissidents have once again shown total disregard for the community, businesses, and society as a whole.”
He appealed to anyone who was in the Silverwood commercial area between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Friday, January 31, and who noticed unusual activities to contact the police.
“In addition, I ask anyone who has been in the area and has dash cam footage at the same time that he urgently turns to the police,” he said.
“The police can be contacted on emergency number 101. Alternatively, information can also be forwarded to the independent Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
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