Pistol-Packing Granny Caught at Dublin Airport with Her Undies Fully Loaded

April 17, 2010 -- A 68-year-old grandmother has been detained by the Irish police after two guns were found wrapped up in underwear in her luggage.

The grandmother was attempting to board a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Birmingham. One of the 9mm guns was loaded with three rounds while the second was empty. A total of seven loose bullets were found in her luggage.

The woman is known to the Irish police ,and following her arrest, armed police raided her house in north Dublin, where they found further ammunition.

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The woman first came to the attention of the police when her relatives were involved in a shooting five years ago.A source told Dublin's Evening Herald that, "the woman attempted to stroll through the screening area and her bag set off the metal detector."

Airport security staff conducted a search and found the two weapons. It is suspected that the woman my have been trying to smuggle the weapons to relatives in Britain.

Police believe that relatives of the woman have been threatened by criminals in the UK and the guns were intended for her family's protection. The grandmother can be detained for questioning for 72 hours.

Three months ago, a Slovakian national unwittingly passed through Dublin airport with plastic explosives. It transpired that Slovakian security officials had planted the bomb in his bag as part of an airport security exercise.