1999 Water Supply Blackmail Plot

1999 English water supply blackmail plot
Water supply blackmail plot Part of Northern Ireland peace process
Date	June–July 1999
Location	England, United Kingdom
Methods	Threatened contamination of water supplies
Status	Foiled
Result	Threat investigated and neutralised; no contamination occurred
Lead figures
Republican Revenge Group
Casualties and losses
None None
None
Casualties
Death	0
Injuries	0
Arrested	Adam Busby
Damage	None reported

1999 Water Supply Blackmail Plot was a blackmail and terrorist plot in the United Kingdom in 1999 from June and July of that year. The perpetrators threatened to contaminate the public water infrastructure in England unless the British government withdrawals from Northern Ireland and were part of the self-described group called the republican revenge group.

Background

The blackmail plot happened during a period of uncertainty surrounding the northern Ireland peace process. The Good Friday agreement had just been sign in Apirl 1998, however, some republican activists oppose the Good Friday agreement because of the continued presence of the British government in Northern Ireland.

The threats

In June of 1999 letters that had the threats were delivered to Papal Nuncio, the British ambassador to Ireland Sir Ivor Roberts and Ofwat in Birmingham and the letter that was given to Robert’s was to be sent to prime Minister Blair.

The letters said that an improvised chemical weapon would be attached to fire hydrants in England and forcing a weedkiller called New Pathclear into the water supply. The letters demanded that British forces leave northern Ireland by June 16 and to take the threat seriously.

The investigation

The authorities decided to take the threat seriously and the British government said that a real threat was found they would inform the public, meanwhile in Dublin the gardai and the British police cooperated to find a suspect in the case and they arrested a ex-soldier from Scotland living in Dublin named Adam Busby was arrested.

The perpetrator

The suspect an ex-soldier from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders named Adam Busby who was 50 at the time of his arrest in Scotland, Busby was also a prominent figure in Scottish nationalism and is suspected he founded the Scottish Nationalist Front. He arrived in Dublin 10 years before the blackmail plot and claimed he was fleeing from harassment by British security services because he was a suspect in minor bombings in Scotland associated with the Scottish nationalist front.

Reactions

David Veness a Scottish yard assistant commissioner for specialist operations said that the plot could not be effectively enacted but nevertheless it was a threat of mass murder.

The British Embassy in Dublin thought the letters were a dirty trick by loyalists designed to smear republicans.