Limerick man discovers weapons cache while walking his dog
A local man contacted gardaí after discovering a weapons cache, which included a machine gun, last Wednesday night, gardaí have revealed.
Gardaí said they also "suspect" the weapons haul, found next to a gate, may belong to a local man who has established himself as feared criminal in the Limerick area.
The man had been walking his dogs on fields when he noticed a suspicious object as he approached a gate at Old Pallas, Co Limerick.
Gardaí said after the man went to investigate the item, he discovered a hold-all bag of guns.
The bag contained a machine gun, a shotgun, two pistols and firearm accessories, gardaí said.
After discovering the guns the man immediately contacted gardaí who recovered the arsenal and conducted searches of the area.
Nothing else was discovered during follow-up searches of the area.
Gardaí are working on the theory that the guns were left for collection to be used in a criminal enterprise.
The bag was found "while he was walking with his dogs," a garda source said.
"He found it close to a gate. It looked like it had been left near the gate so it would be collected by somebody. It has been sent to our forensics lab for ballistics testing.
The source added that gardaí "suspect" the guns are connected to a well-known local criminal.
A statement released by the Garda Press Office stated: "This bag was found to contain a machine gun, a shotgun, two pistols and firearm accessories."
It added: "No arrests have been made in connection with the firearm seizures."
