2 men charged after extremist plot to attack Irish mosque, migrant centers

LONDON

Two men appeared in court after explosives were discovered in Ireland and Northern Ireland, following a plot by a right-wing extremist group to attack a mosque in Galway and sites housing migrants, according to British media on Friday.

The BBC reported that Garrett Pollock, 35, from Annalong in County Down, and Karolis Peckauskas, 38, from Drogheda in County Louth, were brought before a special sitting of the Portlaoise District Court after police in both jurisdictions uncovered explosives during a cross-border counter-terror operation.

Pollock was charged with possession of explosives at O'Moore Place in Portlaoise and at an address in Kilhorne Green, County Down.

Gardai, or Irish police, objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the charges, risk of flight and their belief that he posed “a threat to the state.”

Detective Declan O’Connor told the court that a video was discovered on a device seized from Pollock’s home, showing four masked men standing before a tri-color flag.

In the video, they threatened to attack “Ireland’s first mosque” in Galway, as well as International Protection Accommodation Service centers and hotels housing migrants.

Judge Andrew Cody said the video appeared to be “a practice of a statement being released subsequent to a successful terrorist attack.”

He added that the men spoke of “an eye for an eye” and claimed responsibility for “the destruction of the first mosque that was introduced in Ireland in County Galway”.

Cody said the video reinforced police suspicions that Pollock was among the masked men and refused bail. He was remanded in custody to appear Thursday.

Peckauskas, who was also charged with possession of explosives, told the court: “I do not understand.”

An interpreter was assigned to him, and he was remanded in custody to appear next week.

A document described as a “manifesto” for the group was also found during searches, according to Irish broadcaster RTE. Police believe the video was recorded in Portlaoise but had not been shared.