Vilnius - A court in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius was due to begin the trial Tuesday of an Irishman accused of attempting to buy arms for the dissident paramilitary group the Real IRA.

Michael Campbell, 36, was arrested in Lithuania in January 2008 following a sting operation involving British, Irish and Lithuanian security services. He has been held in custody ever since.

He is charged with attempting to buy illegal arms, including explosives, arms smuggling and aiding a proscribed terrorist organization.

A bail application by Campbell was rejected in April this year.

Campbell's lawyers claim he was a victim of entrapment and that he was attempting to buy cigarettes rather than weapons when he handed over a large amount of cash to undercover agents posing as smugglers.

The Real IRA split from the better-known Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1997. While the IRA has laid down its arms and joined in the Northern Ireland peace protest, the smaller Real IRA favours the use of military methods in its efforts to end British rule in Northern Ireland.

In the 1990s, many Eastern European capitals became popular destinations for paramilitary groups around the globe looking to buy weapons. Large stocks of Soviet-era arms, plus officials open to corruption, created a lucrative marketplace that was quickly taken over by criminal gangs. (dpa)