Two Irish men in their twenties were arrested in Dublin today as part of a joint inquiry into alleged "Real IRA" activity by the Garda and the French police.
They were arrested at about 7 a.m., at the same time as five French nationals (two women and three men) were arrested in France for allegedly assisting terrorism.
A Garda statement said the French authorities carried out a search in Dieppe and recovered three automatic pistols and 130 rounds of ammunition in a hide in the ground.
The five French nationals were arrested, the Garda said.p>At the same time two Irish men in their mid twenties were arrested in the Dublin area under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939. They are being detained at Lucan and Clondalkin Garda Stations where they can be held for up to 72 hours.
The Garda said the joint operation into the activities of the "Real IRA" involved the Garda Crime and Security branch, the Special Detective Unit, the French authoritiesand the assistance of other European Countries.
The French suspects' names were not released, but they were identified as natives of Brittany - a region with Celtic roots and where a small separatist movement exists.
A French police source said the detentions followed an early morning raid that uncovered an arms cache buried in a forest on the outskirts of the coastal town of Dieppe that included two machine guns and an automatic weapon.
The suspects are being transferred to Paris where they can be interviewed by anti-terrorists detectives for up to 96 hours without charge.