Bomb planted on UK-bound lorry to cause explosion on Brexit Day: Police

With an intention to cause an explosion on the day Britain left the European Union, the Irish Republican Army dissidents had planted a bomb on an UK-bound truck. The Police Service in Northern Ireland said on February 6 that a Belfast newspaper had received a warning call on January 31 saying that there was a bomb on a truck at Belfast docks which was headed for a ferry to Scotland. However, despite the search, nothing was found. 

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Another call was made on February 3 to the same newspaper with a piece of new information which led to the discovery of bomb aboard a lorry at an industrial park in Northern Ireland town of Lurgan. The Police Assistant chief constable George Clarke said that the caller had also informed that intention was to cause an explosion on Friday evening. However, according to reports, the bombers might have picked the wrong truck because the vehicle which had explosives planted in it remained at a haulage company's yard in Lurgan until it was discovered. 

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Suspected group is Continuity IRA

The Irish police also said that they believe the entire plan was carried out by a group known as the Continuity IRA. However, the investigators have said they would like to speak to anyone who has noticed any suspicious activity in the area on the day of Brexit. 

“Once that device had left that yard if it had ... it was exposing people on the public road, at a busy time, and at busy places, to huge levels of risk,” Clarke said. “These people are absolutely callous and reckless in what they have done.” 

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Before the peace accord of Northern Ireland in 1998, reportedly, more than 3,700 people had died during decades of violence. But, there are still some groups like IRA dissidents which continue to carry out occasional bombings and shootings. The violent groups reportedly became more confident due to the several years of political drift in Northern Ireland. The Irish coalition government was also suspended between January 2017 and last month as it faces uncertainty about the future of its borders after Britain finishes the transition period with the European Union.

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(With AP inputs)