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Three arrested for IRA membership after tip-off from undercover FBI agent, trial hears

Summary

Gardai arrested three men – Jonathan Hawthorn (45), James Geraghty (61) and Donal O'Ceallaigh (33) – on suspicion of membership in the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The arrests followed a tip from an undercover FBI agent who had been monitoring the darknet, where a user named Meat Cleaver sought Semtex to be sent to Ireland. The FBI agent received the request via AlphaBay and identified Geraghty's Dolphin House as the delivery address. A mock‑package was sent to Dolphin House by a garda posing as a DHL driver. Hawthorn signed for the package in Geraghty's name, and the garda later arrested Hawthorn at St James's Hospital. O'Ceallaigh was arrested on St James's Street, and Geraghty was taken into custody shortly thereafter. The men pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Three arrested for IRA membership after tip-off from undercover FBI agent, trial hears. Charges or matters: membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on September 14th, 2016. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• September 14th, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
• August 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
• September 14, 2016 Other
• 2018-07-04 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Read the original CNI report