Teenage Treasure Hunter Found Much More Than He Bargained For
#1 Teenager Finds Guns
James Cork stumbled across cache of 40 weapons in the Somerset Levels, in South West England.
#2 The Discovery
While combing Greylake with a rope and a strong magnet tied to the end, the 16-year-old and a friend suddenly came across the rusted guns below.
#3 Police Are Called
Later when James' mom, Katherine saw him playing with the guns and she immediately called the police who arrived "armed" minutes later.
#4 Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Experts say the weapons may have belonged to the Irish Republican Army (IRA).The organization often choose to hide and dump weapons in various area of England, like the Midlands and also all along the south coast, where rural Somerset is located.
#5 The IRA: A Brief Overview
The IRA were rooted in Catholic Irish nationalism, they were founded in 1969 and opposed British rule in Northern Ireland. They represented the republican paramilitary organization seeking the establishment of a republic and the reunification of Ireland.
#6 Old Weapons
The IRA were known to use terrorist tactics and used deadly guns. The found arsenal of rusting weapons dated back to World War II, and included "a Browning .50 machine gun, which could take down a helicopter, and an M16 assault rifle".
#7 Expert Speculation
Experts also suggest, "the guns may have been dumped by the IRA when they were meant to be declaring their arms in 2001". Today the weapon found though are too old to be used, and their parts have been destroyed.
