Boat seized in operation targeting the suspected drugs criminality linked to South East Antrim UDA

Today, Wednesday 14 October, Officers from the Paramilitary Crime Task Force searched a house in Carrickfergus under the Misuse of Drugs Act, during which a number of items were seized, including a quantity of suspected herbal cannabis and drugs paraphernalia. Detective Chief Inspector Cummings said: “Today officers carried out a planned search of this property in an operation targeting the suspected drugs criminality linked to South East Antrim UDA. “During today’s search operation, officers also seized a boat, which is further evidence that the PCTF remain committed to investigating all aspects of criminality being carried out by those purporting to be operating under the convenient flag of a paramilitary organisation. Paramilitaries are not defenders of their communities, instead they are criminals who prey on vulnerable people and exploit any circumstances they can for their own gain. “We will continue to listen to the community and act on any information they provide us, so I would ask anyone with information about any criminality linked to paramilitaries to contact police on 101 or anonymously through the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111, which gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.”

The Police Service of Northern Ireland, HM Revenue & Customs and the National Crime Agency have established the Paramilitary Crime Task Force to tackle criminality linked to paramilitarism as part of the Executive’s action plan on tackling paramilitary activity, criminality and organised crime.