New IRA investigation: Women charged under Terrorism Act in Northern Ireland

By Sky News

Two women have been charged by police investigating the activities of dissident republican group the New IRA.

A total of seven people in Northern Ireland have now been charged with terrorism offences as part of Operation Arbacia in the last 24 hours.

The two women, a 45-year-old from Dungannon and a 49-year-old from Lurgan, were charged with offences including membership of a proscribed organisation, directing terrorism and two separate charges of preparatory acts of terrorism.

Crime operations assistant chief constable Barbara Gray said on Saturday night: "Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Police investigating dissident republican group the New IRA have charged a further two women this evening on suspicion of a wide range of offences under the Terrorism Act as part of Operation Arbacia, an ongoing investigation into the activities of the New IRA."

She said five people had been charged on Saturday and will appear at Laganside Court on Monday.

Two men, a 43-year-old man from the Dungannon and a 32-year-old from Londonderry, also known as Derry, appeared in court on Saturday morning to face terrorism-related charges.

There was no application for bail and they were remanded in custody until 18 September.

The New IRA is opposed to the peace process and has been behind a number of attempted attacks on police.

There has been a revived security forces focus on the activities of the organisation since it claimed responsibility for the death of journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot while observing a riot in Derry last year.