Border Bomb Intercepted

​A 25-year-old law student has appeared before a special sitting of the Trim District Court charged with possession of explosives following an intelligence-led security operation near the border.

​Isobella Perrie Sullivan, from Clane, County Kildare, was arrested after members of An Garda Síochána’s Special Detective Unit intercepted her vehicle on the N2 near Carrickmacross, County Monaghan. Authorities recovered a bag from the rear seat containing a timing power unit, a detonator, and military-grade plastic explosives believed to be Semtex.

​Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly characterized the find as an “extremely significant seizure,” noting that the device was fully completed and posed a severe threat. Security sources believe the sophisticated ordnance was intended for a cross-border attack in Northern Ireland.

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​During the court proceedings, defence solicitor Gavin Booth argued that his client was unaware of the bag’s contents and had been manipulated into transporting it. Despite strong objections from police due to the gravity of the charges, Judge Raymond Finnegan granted bail under strict conditions, including a €15,000 independent surety, a mandatory passport surrender, a strict nightly curfew, and daily check-ins at Naas Garda Station.

​A second suspect, a man in his 40s, remains in Garda custody as the cross-border investigation continues.