AN elite anti-terror Garda unit have apprehended a major dissident suspected of terror offences after being placed on high alert for two weeks.
The 45-year from the border region - linked to a home-made bomb found in the Wattlebridge area of Co. Fermanagh - was identified by gardaí as a senior republican dissident.
A serious bomb threat alert was raised after a suspicious device was discovered at a bus shelter, which prompted a joint Garda-PSNI task force response.
The two-week investigation began when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was discovered on January 13. A number of heavily armed PSNI and British military forces swarmed the area over the following weeks.
It was later found to have been a hoax. British soldiers carried out a controlled explosion and live ammunition was recovered nearby.
The Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) claimed to have fired upon a police helicopter the evening after the device was discovered.
They in fact targeted a privately owned chopper that sustained no damage and was unaware it was even under attack.
A statement released by the CIRA confirmed their intention to lure officers to a prearranged location for a gun battle.
The suspect is being interrogated by detectives at Cavan Garda Station and is being detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
A source said: "It was a great bit of detective work to get this man. It is a good result for the gardaí and for their colleagues across the border.
"Gardaí are continuing to crack down on dissident republican activity along the border and will not let up."
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