Prosecutive report + Buffalo clips · p.69

FD-350 (Rev.10-19-77)
(Mount Clipping in Space Below)
Next. Move Awaited on
Five Seized at Border.
By MARGARET HAMMERSLEY
the immigration service, all are na-
The next nove appeared today
tives ofBelfast inNorthernIreland.
to be up to the U.S.Immigration
They include two men identified by
andNaturalizationService inthe
Mr.Ferro as Northern Ireland citi-
case of three Canadian residents
zens and three St.Catharine resi-
and two Irish nationais in custody
dents who are landed immigrants in
sincetheir arrestattheWhirlpool
Canada..
Bridge three days ago:
They were arrested in two cars
U.S. Attorney Roger P. Wiliams
s.thatarrived attheWhirlpool
said he couid not prosecute the five
Bridge a few minutes apart.
on criminal charges of illegal entry
Mr. Ferro said the two Irish na-
on evidence shown to him by immi-
tionals were in the first car with a
gration officials through ·late
St. Catharines man, but passports
Monday.
believed to belong.to the Irish na-
The five alleged IRA smypathiz-
tionais were foundinthesecond
ers were brought to the U.s.Court-
car,with the two other St.Catha-
house Monday afternoon before Dis-
rines men.
trict Director Benedict J. Ferro
The Irish nationals are identified?
met with the press to explain'why
as Michael Weir, 36,·and Edward
the immigration service believes
Howell, 35, both of Belfast. They
that the Irish nationals were qn
are charged with the immigration
their way to New York City to buy.
violation of trying to enter the
arms and ammunition.
country with fake documents.*;
Mr.Ferro said the five men de
dclined interviews with the press and
In the same car, and arrested at
were refusing to answer officials'
the same time, was Wiliam O'Neill,
questions.q
29, of 75 Ventura Drive, St. Catha-
Iterns seized as evidence
rines. He is charged with aiding
n-
cluded 'S10,000 worth of Irish and
illegal entry.
English pounds, alieged phony
Theoccupants ofthe secondcar
documents for border crossing and
are identified as.James M. Kelly,
what officiais described as an IRA .
42, of Lafayette Drive, St. Catha-
shopping list for ammunition.
The first item reads. "8mm/7.92
short:70" and is interpreted by the
immigration'service as an order for
70 cases of ammunition that could
be used in Chinese, Czech or Cana-
dian submachine guns. A case
could contain up to 2,000 rounds.
The dozen items on the so-called
shopping list range from armor-
piercingammunition to turn-of-the-
'century cartridges.
Mr. Ferro said diaries seized
show places where officials believe
the ammunition could be purchased
with the $10,000. They are not in
Buffalo.
The arrested men, according to