A 30-year-old serving British naval officer in the UK was today charged with terror offences by a court here for carrying out research of articles, including of chemicals and components, to make bombs for use in terrorism.
Ciaran Maxwell, a Royal Marine from Northern Ireland, has been charged with one offence of terrorism, one of fraud and one of possessing cannabis when he appeared at the Westminster Magistrates' Court.
He was arrested in Somerset last week after searches in Larne and Devon areas of the UK. His arrest was understood to be connected to the discovery of two arms dumps in County Antrim in Northern Ireland earlier this year.
He is charged with manufacturing explosives, making devices and storing them in barrels in hides in England and Northern Ireland, the BBC reported.
The charges include obtaining articles for use in terrorism, specifically chemicals and components to make bombs.
He is accused of carrying out research resulting in "the creation of a library of documents" likely to be of use to terrorists.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between January 2011 and the day of his arrest in Somerset on August 24 this year.
Maxwell, from Larne in County Antrim, was taken to a West Country police station in Somerset last Wednesday.
He was transferred to a London police station last Thursday and questioned on suspicion of being involved in the preparation for acts of terrorism under Section Five of the Terrorism Act.
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