Gardaí have arrested a third person as part of their cross-border terror investigation with the PSNI.

As The Irish Times reports, the man, who is in his 30s, was arrested in Co. Laois yesterday afternoon. He is currently being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939.

This morning, Sinn Féin confirmed that a member of their party was expelled after her partner was arrested as part of the Gardaí’s terror investigation into far-right extremism.

In a statement – via RTÉ – a spokesperson for the party said the partner of the arrested man was expelled as she “failed to notify the party that her home was raided or inform the party about the associated seriousness of this situation”.

Sinn Féin’s National Chairperson Declan Kearney said the party will not allow itself to be “exposed to any far-right elements”. He also thanked the Gardaí for their role in the investigation.

The arrest comes a week after Gardaí detained two men in Laois. During a search of a van, Gardaí discovered pipe ends and sealant, a bulletproof vest, cable ties, hatchets, knives and a tricolour.

The men, one aged in his 30s and the other in his 40s, appeared before the Portlaoise District Court last week, where they were charged with possession and control of explosives.

According to RTÉ, the court heard how a violent, far-right group had threatened, via video, to attack a mosque in Galway, International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres and hotels housing migrants in Ireland.

The cross-border terror investigation also led the PSNI to search a property in Co. Down. A number of suspicious items were uncovered, including laptops, which will be examined.

Ammunition experts subsequently arrived on the scene to examine suspicious items found in both the house and the garden. A number of residents were also evacuated from their homes while the search took place.