The Northern Ireland Unionist Party has claimed that the Provisional IRA has acquired up to 160 weapons as a result of the Florida gun-running operation uncovered in July.
Three Irish men and a woman are to stand trial on charges arising from the operation. An NIUP Assembly member, Mr Roger Hutchinson, said: "It is a mistake to believe that the Florida gun-running operation was amateurish.
"Sinn Fein and the Provisional IRA are operating an `unarmed struggle strategy' while secretly regrouping and acquiring new sophisticated weaponry. The Provos were buying up 25mm automatic pistols with silencers and small, easily concealed, machine guns, some of which are actually camouflaged as lethal brief cases.
"This points to weapons being used not in a rural campaign but in urban areas like Belfast, London or Manchester. David Trimble and the Ulster Unionists have been totally duped and taken in by Sinn F[ein's master strategists.