An inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bombing, which resulted in 29 fatalities, has heard claims that the individual who transported the bomb may have been an agent for both MI5 and the Garda. Retired detective Norman Baxter, who led the investigation, suggested that intelligence services were aware of the bombers' activities prior to the attack and criticized the lack of action taken to prevent it.
Baxter expressed concerns over potential collusion between the Garda and dissident republicans, stating that opportunities to disrupt the bombing were missed. He highlighted that known members of the Provisional IRA were seen with the bomb the night before the attack, raising questions about the effectiveness of the investigation and the response from authorities at the time.