A 14 year old Co Derry boy has faced a court this morning charged with attempting to possess a machine gun and 100 rounds of ammo.
The boy was arrested at Riverside Retail Park in Coleraine by detectives from the PSNI’s Reactive and Organised Crime Branch.
The boy appeared at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court this morning after spending the night in Coleraine police station.
A police officer told the court that the boy had attempted to buy the items via the ‘dark web’ – a hidden part of the internet used by criminals to trade in illegal goods.
The youth was arrested as part of a ‘pro active’ policing operation after his crime was detected by the PSNI’s Cyber Crime Unit
A district judge released him on pending a further court appearance at a later date.