S.I.S. seeks sinister side

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 1

S.I.S. seeks sinister side

The discovery of big firearms caches associated with the Full Gospel Mission raised the possibility of illegal, country-wide

terrorist activity, said the director of the Security Intelligence Service (Mr P. L. Molineaux) yesterday. The group has been known to the S.I.S. for several years, but as a result of the recent discoveries, a special investigation has been started by the service into possible “sinister” and “political” aspects.

Mr Molineaux said that although both the police and the S.I.S. were investigating the sect, the lines of inquiry approached the issue “from not quite the same standpoint.”

“The police, of course,

are charged with administering the Anns Act, and if there are breaches of that act it is the duty of the police to bring the matter before the courts,” he said. “Obviously. 4f there is a terrorist incident on- the ground, that, too, is their province.

“Ours is a somewhat different role; it is our duty to advise the Government of any subversive or terrorist activity,” Mr Molineaux said. “Naturally the discovery of arms caches of this magnitude raises, prima facie anyway, the possibility of some illegal, national terrorist activity. “Already the local community is alarmed and we are investigating to . see whether there are any grounds for their fears —

to see whether this group is not a religious sect as it claims, but instead a political grouping or cell with possible terrorist intent.

“We will, of course, liaise with the police from time to time during this investigation, but as I have said the aspects of our investigation are not necessarily the same.”

Asked how long the S.I.S. had been interested in the group, Mr Molineaux said: “This group has been knowm to us for some years but, until recently, there have been no grounds for concern. It was. until then, primarily an internal matter within their own organisation and we had not even bothered to turn in a report.” Mr Molineaux said the

S.I.S. was taking a more serious view than that of a sect member who had said the weapons were just one man’s collection of antique arms, and that the police were “playing games.” “We are looking for something a little more sinister, in a way, than just offences under the Arms Act,” said Mr Molineaux. “We will be checking to see if there is any political motivation.”

Primarily the S.I.S. was concerned that there might be connotations of subversive or terrorist elements involved, Mr Molineaux said.

The' office of the Acting Prime Minister (Mr Talboys) said that Mr Taiboys would not be able to comment on the affair until todav at the earliest.