Gardai in Athlone are questioning a local man in connection with pipe bomb attacks on two Athlone head shops which occurred in March.
The man, who is in his 30s and from the Midlands area, was arrested at his home by Gardai yesterday (Thursday ) morning, as part of an ongoing investigation into the planting of viable devices outside the two businesses in the town on March 10.
He is being detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, under which Gardai can keep him in custody for up to 48 hours.
Athlone was left reeling earlier this year, after suspicious devices planted outside head shops at Sean Costello Street and Irishtown turned out to be viable pipe bombs.
The frightening early morning discovery of the devices set in motion an extensive Garda operation which saw up to 200 people evacuated from businesses and private residences in the Mardyke Street, Sean Costello Street, and Irishtown areas.
The alarm was raised at 9.30am that morning, when staff opening up the respective shops noticed the suspicious devices outside their premises.
Streets were cleared and sealed off, and traffic was diverted away from the town centre as the Army Bomb Disposal team arrived to remove the devices to make them safe.
This arrest is the first in relation to the incidents, and is part of an ongoing Garda investigation, during which they have examined CCTV footage and conducted extensive door-to-door enquiries.
The Athlone attacks took place against a backdrop of strong national and local opposition to the sale of so-called legal highs by head shops.
The Government has since introduced legislation declaring a range of substances previously sold in head shops to be banned drugs.
