The IRA might have been trying to sell some of its stocks of Semtex to the left-wing guerrillas in Colombia, according to senior Garda sources.
The IRA has been considering how to dispose of its stock of Semtex - thought to be between two and four tons. The explosive has a shelf life of around 30 years, but it has been in storage in Irish bunkers since the mid-1980s when it was imported from Libya.
It is now believed the IRA might have been demonstrating the use of Semtex in improvised bombs. FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) have poor technical and ordnance skills and are believed to have been prepared to pay for the Semtex and sharing of expertise.
FARC is a very wealthy organisation as it controls a large part of the cocaine and heroin production and supply from the area of Colombia ceded to it by the government.
Meanwhile, the Colombian edition of the magazine, Cambio, has carried what it says is a transcript of a conversation between two senior FARC members about their contacts with the IRA and the testing of a Semtex bomb.
In one of the conversations there is an apparent discussion about how to move "material" from Venezuela to Colombia. It is not known if this is a reference to Semtex. If so, it might mean the IRA's explosive stock has already left Ireland.
One of the conversations is said to involve a FARC figure nicknamed "Jojoy" apparently telling a radio operator to pass a message to a lieutenant nicknamed "Josue" about three men "who've come from very far away, he knows who I'm talking about".
"It's very interesting this Semtex. It's a very big thing and they have it and they know how to use it. We have to take advantage of this training for everyone . . . I think the best thing would be if someone from each zone came here," the transcript read. The dialogue also contains references to visiting "monos" which can be translated as "lads".
The following is a translation of some of the reported conversation:
JOJOY: We must exploit this training for everyone . . . here is the instruction as clarified by Josue
OPERATOR: Yes, yes, I'm taking this down.
JOJOY: He has to have a talk with them about the job they will be doing with the three lads (monos), he knows who I am talking about. They come from very far away. He knows them well . . .
OPERATOR: Yes, yes, got it.
JOJOY: We have to spread this information to the various cities. I have said that we must beat the cities, to see if the political enemies understand that there will be no delays and that we are going to resolve this. We have to beat them and it's important that we get this across very clearly . . .
OPERATOR: Yes, we are following you, no problem, taking it down.
JOJOY: Then Josue must see how organised and disseminated all this information is. If we are to bring people here from all over, if we are going to send them to further zones, like Uraba, where all this will be useful, then we will do it. But we have to take advantage of this training for everyone . . .
OPERATOR: Continue I'm following you . . .
JOJOY: Now that Josue is fully aware of what we have to do. He decides and we arrange everything to carry out the task. To organise it . . . I think somebody from over here would be the best person to organise it. But if not, we send people, especially those from further away, with all the information. It is a very technical thing, we cannot afford to treat this lightly, but the three lads will give the information here as it was, with more detail . . .
The following is a second transcript allegedly from "Josue".
JOSUE: This message is for the Commander Jorge Briceno. To tell him that I have understood everything. That, everything, as he says, is clear . . . Are you getting this?
OPERATOR: Everything's fine, it's perfect. Continue
JOSUE: I am going to incorporate a plan that will spread the instructions, so that everyone who has it can learn it, do it. I agree that it is very important. I think the best thing is to bring people to Macarena, where the lads were, then we will organise a good training for all this . . .