Terrorists plotted to kill SAS chief

4 July 2010
The Sunday Times
John Mooney

Republican dissidents secretly planned to murder Sir Michael Rose, a retired British army general who commanded the SAS.

Paul McCaugherty, then second-in-command of Oglaigh na hEireann (OnH), a republican faction, discussed the idea with an undercover MI5 agent posing as an arms dealer.

Continue Reading... Labels: Ali, Alison Kearns, Alvor, Amir, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Desmond Paul Kearns, Informer, MI5, Oglaigh na hEireann, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

ARMS SMUGGLER WAS MI5 GRASS

ARMS SMUGGLER WAS MI5 GRASS
4 July 2010
Ciaran Barnes, Crime Reporter
The Sunday Life

A MAN convicted of involvement in the Real IRA arms smuggling plot is a suspected MI5 informant.

Dermot Gregory was fingered by dissident godfather Colm Murphy as being a paid army spy involved in setting up republicans along the border.

Gregory, 41, will be sentenced later this year for helping Lurgan Real IRA leader Paul McCaugherty try to smuggle guns and explosives into Northern Ireland.

Last week a court found him guilty of buying a restaurant in Portugal with the intention of selling it on to held fund the Real IRA to purchase arms.

Car dealer Gregory is currently being held in protective custody at Maghaberry Prison because his name tops a Real IRA death list.

Colm Murphy -- convicted in a civil court of being liable for the Omagh bomb but cleared in a criminal case retrial -- said Gregory gave him a full account of his MI5 spying activities.

"In the run up to my retrial (for the Omagh bomb) Gregory was actively trying to implicate me in some sort of activity to scupper the case," said Murphy.

"He has admitted this. He was ready to go public before he was pulled back into Maghaberry."

Murphy said Gregory gave him a signed confession in which he admitted more than £500,000 was paid to him and a 43-year-old Garda informant.

The letter claimed Gregory and the Garda spy were acting as a team and were involved in setting up dissident republicans in south Armagh and Co Louth.

Murphy alleged that Gregory agreed to do a press conference revealing his role, but had his bail revoked in May and was jailed before he could go in front of the cameras.

The Garda informer fled Ireland after the Real IRA murdered Kieran Doherty in Derry last February.

The Dublin career criminal is now believed to be in living in protective custody in Wales.

Murphy claimed Gregory also told him that they both provided their handlers with false information to try to get extra cash.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Colm Murphy, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Informer, MI5, Michael Dermot, Michael Gregory, Omagh, Paul McCaugherty, Real IRA

RIRA plot to kill general

4 July 2010
The Sunday Life
Ciaran Barnes

The REAL IRA wanted to pay a Balkan hitman to murder a top British army general responsible for operations in Bosnia.

The plan to kill Sir Michael Rose -- which could come straight from the pages of a spy novel -- was the brainchild of Lurgan terror boss Paul McCaugherty.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alison Kearns, Alvor, Amir, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Desmond Paul Kearns, Entrapment, MI5, Oglaigh na hEireann, Omagh, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA, Seamus McKenna

Boss on new charge

4 July 2010
The Sunday Life

Terror boss Paul McCaugherty is facing even more charges.

The Real IRA chief was arrested at his home in the Beech Court area of Lurgan on June 25 after a police raid.

The 43-year-old was charged with possessing information likely to be of use to terrorists.

Bald McCaugherty appeared in Lisburn Magistrates' Court three days later.

Details of the fresh charges against the dissident republican godfather can only be revealed now that his arms smuggling trial is over.

He is scheduled to appear in court again in September.

Continue Reading... Labels: Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Real IRA

Arms smuggler was MI5 grass

4 July 2010
The Sunday Life
Ciaran Barnes

A man convicted of involvement in the Real IRA arms smuggling plot is a suspected MI5 informant.

Dermot Gregory was fingered by dissident godfather Colm Murphy as being a paid army spy involved in setting up republicans along the border.

Gregory, 41, will be sentenced later this year for helping Lurgan Real IRA leader Paul McCaugherty try to smuggle guns and explosives into Northern Ireland.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Colm Murphy, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Informer, Omagh, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

How an MI5 'weapons dealer' tricked a Real IRA leader

2 July 2010
BBC
Conor Spackman

It was a case which could have come straight from the pages of a spy novel - but in fact it was a deadly real-life narrative. A self-proclaimed leader of the Real IRA attending exotic meetings across Europe, plotting to secure the sophisticated weaponry which would be used to target the British commander of UN forces in Bosnia as well as police officers in Northern Ireland. In fact Paul McCaugherty had been enmeshed in what a judge described as "an elaborate and successful hoax", which ended in his conviction on a plethora of terrorist charges on Wednesday.

Continue Reading... Labels: Ali, Alvor, Amir, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Entrapment, MI5, Omagh, Orlando Pownall, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA, Seamus McKenna

Dissident republican plotter put in isolation

2 July 2010 
Mirror  
Maurice Fitzmaurice

A DISSIDENT republican who took part in a plot to buy arms for the Real IRA has been put in an isolation cell while he awaits sentencing, it emerged last night.

Dermot Declan Gregory, aka Michael Dermot Gregory, from Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was found guilty on Wednesday of making a restaurant available for a gang that was trying to buy assault rifles and rocket launchers.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Informer, MI5, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

He said the Real IRA had been scheming... and the arms deal would be the icing on the cake

1 July 2010
Belfast Telegraph

FOR two years he travelled to cities across Europe, plotting a deadly gunsmuggling operation designed to bring terror to the streets of Northern Ireland.

But Real IRA boss Paul McCaugherty's plans had one fatal flaw. His misplaced trust in a man he believed to be an arms dealer -- but who was actually a covert MI5 agent -- who blew the lid on the smuggling plot.

Continue Reading... Labels: Ali, Alvor, Amir, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Desmond Paul Kearns, Entrapment, MI5, Michael Dermot, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

Secret agents are our hidden heroes

1 July 2010
Belfast Telegraph

Comment

Spies and double agents have had a chequered -- and in many cases an unsavoury -- history throughout the decades of terrorist activities in both parts of Ireland. There are well documented cases where agents overstepped the mark during the most recent Troubles and engaged directly in terrorism up to, and including, murder. Yet, it has to be accepted that the often murky world of intelligence-gathering is vital to national security in every country.

Continue Reading... Labels: Ali, Amir, MI5, Omagh, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Real IRA

'It was an elaborate and successful hoax that completely fooled a determined terrorist'

1 July 2010
Belfast Telegraph

Paul McCaugherty was one of a group of terrorists who were determined to buy arms and explosives to carry out attacks on the security forces, a judge has said.

Convicting McCaugherty of a series of terrorism charges relating to a two-year MI5 sting operation, Mr Justice Hart said there was "extremely compelling" evidence against him.

McCaugherty (43), from Beech Court in Lurgan, had denied a total of seven charges.

Continue Reading... Labels: Ali, Alvor, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, MI5, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

Terrorist duped in MI5 gun deal sting

1 July 2010
The Sun
David Young

A REAL IRA commander duped by an MI5 agent was found guilty yesterday of trying to smuggle a huge cache of weapons and explosives into Northern Ireland. Paul McCaugherty, 43, from Lurgan, Co Armagh, had no idea he was being targeted in a sting operation.

At Belfast Crown Court Justice Hart said the evidence against McCaugherty was "extremely compelling". The judge added: "He was one of a group of terrorists determined to buy arms and explosives to carry out attacks on members of the security forces in Northern Ireland."

Continue Reading... Labels: Ali, Alvor, Amir, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, MI5, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

Real IRA leader found guilty after MI5 sting

1 July 2010 
Irish Independent

A LEADING dissident republican who was duped by an MI5 agent posing as an arms dealer was found guilty yesterday of trying to smuggle a huge cache of weapons and explosives into Northern Ireland.

Paul McCaugherty (43) from Lurgan in Co Armagh had no idea the arsenal he agreed to buy for more than €100,000 did not even exist and that he was instead being targeted by the British security services in a two-year undercover sting operation.

Continue Reading... Labels: Ali, Alvor, Amir, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Desmond Kearns, Desmond Paul Kearns, MI5, Michael Dermot, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

Real IRA chief guilty

1 July 2010
The Times

A Real IRA commander caught in an MI5 sting was found guilty of trying to smuggle weapons and explosives into Northern Ireland. Paul McCaugherty, 43, from Lurgan, County Armagh, was targeted by an agent posing as an arms dealer. Mr Justice Hart heard evidence in the non-jury case at Belfast Crown Court.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, MI5, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

IRA man guilty of arms smuggling

1 July 2010 
The Journal Newcastle

A LEADING dissident republican duped by an MI5 agent posing as an arms dealer has been found guilty of trying to smuggle a huge cache of weapons and explosives into Northern Ireland. Paul McCaugherty, 43, from County Armagh, had no idea the arsenal he agreed to buy for more than 100,000 euros did not exist and he was instead being targeted by a Security Services sting operation.

Convicting him of a string of offences related to the phoney deal at Belfast Crown Court, Judge Mr Justice Hart, ruling in the non-jury case, said the evidence against the Real IRA commander was "compelling".

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, MI5, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

Real IRA chief caught in M15 weapons sting

1 July 2010
The Daily Telegraph
Gordon Rayner

A REAL IRA commander has been convicted of trying to smuggle weapons and explosives into Northern Ireland after being snared by a MI5 sting operation.

Paul McCaugherty, 43, was caught trying to buy an arsenal of weapons from an agent posing as a Middle Eastern arms dealer.

The security service agent, known as Ali, spent two years meeting McCaugherty and bugging 90 hours of conversations, which became the cornerstone of the prosecution's case at Belfast Crown Court.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Desmond Paul Kearns, Entrapment, MI5, Omagh, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

Dissident republican (43) guilty of smuggling plot

1 July 2010 
The Irish News

A leading dissident republican duped by an MI5 agent posing as an arms dealer was found guilty yesterday of trying to smuggle a huge cache of weapons and explosives into Northern Ireland.

Paul McCaugherty (43) from Lurgan, Co Armagh, had no idea the arsenal he agreed to buy for more than EUR100,000 did not exist and he was instead being targeted by the security services in a two-year undercover sting operation.

Continue Reading... Labels: Ali, Amir, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Desmond Kearns, Desmond Paul Kearns, Entrapment, MI5, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Real IRA

Dissident guilty of anti-tank gun plot

1 July 2010
Mirror
Maurice Fitzmaurice

MI5 sting snares republican

A DISSIDENT republican who tried to buy anti-tank rockets from MI5 agents was found guilty of conspiring to obtain arms and explosives yesterday.

"Roly-poly" Paul Anthony McCaugherty from Beech Court, Lurgan, Co Armagh. yawned as a Belfast Crown Court judge rejected defence claims he had been "entrapped or induced" by the "role-playing agent" known only as "Ali". The 43-year-old was one of three men arrested following a two-year operation between August 2004 and June 2006.

Continue Reading... Labels: Ali, Alvor, Amir, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, MI5, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA