One of two grenades found in a Derry flat last year was similar to those used to kill police officers Fiona Bone (32) and Nicola Hughes (23) at Tameside, Manchester, last September, Derry Magistrate's Court was told yesterday.
The court was sitting to hear a bail application on behalf of Gary McPhilips (29), who was arrested last December following a search of his Hawkin Street flat.
A PSNI officer told the court that weapons, explosives, ammunition and drugs with an estimated value of £20,000 (€23,600) were found in the flat and that the investigation was ongoing.
Opposing the bail application, the officer said the applicant had a conviction for drugs-trafficking in Belgium in 2009 for which he received a 32-month jail sentence.
He said the explosives found in the flat included two Yugoslavian-made hand grenades, one of which he said was similar to those used to kill the two police officers in Manchester last year.
The court was told that a homemade machine gun with a suppressor, two hand guns one of which had a suppressor, ammunition, a taser gun and a CS gas canister were also found during the search.
District Judge Barney McElholm adjourned the bail application until November 4th.