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Massive loyalist weapons cache found after man’s death
Friday, 17 October 2008
Police have uncovered over 80 loyalist paramilitary weapons and thousands of bullets during the search of a house in north Belfast.
The massive arms cache, believed to be linked to the UVF, was uncovered by officers investigating the sudden death of a man in the area. The man has been named locally as William Bell from Ballysillan Drive.
The circumstances surrounding Mr Bell’s death are still under investigation, however police are not treating it as suspicious at this time.
It is understood he may have taken his own life.
Police today said that during follow-up searches they discovered more guns in lock-up premises in greater Belfast.
All weapons and ammunition have been taken away to be examined by forensic experts.
This is one of the biggest arms dumps ever found in Belfast and ballistic tests will be carried out on every weapon to determine if they have been used.
It is understood the guns and ammunition are linked to the UVF, which last year effectively declared an end to its campaign of violence by announcing the organisation was adopting a non-military and civilian role.
Billy Hutchinson, a member of the PUP who has represented the UVF at meetings with the international decommissioning body, said he hoped to make a full statement later.
He added: “First and foremost a man has died and his family will be grieving at this time, it is important we acknowledge and respect that.”
SDLP MLA Alban Maginness said this was a welcome find and added that if loyalist paramilitary groups “will not go out of business voluntarily they should be actively pursued and prosecuted by the police.”
DUP MLA Nelson McCausland said: “I welcome the removal of guns from the streets wherever they are found or whoever they belong to. People want to feel safe and secure. They want to see a society without illegal guns and a society at peace.”
Meanwhile, Mr Bell’s funeral was due to be held today. A floral tribute saying “Dad” and “Granddad” was in the garden of his terraced house.
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Comments
22 Comments
Ulster will never be at peace until the last guns of both loyalists and nationalists are silenced forever.
Posted by Jim Guinnessey | 18.10.08, 16:17 GMT
Billy is not in a paramilitary and the guns have no link to the UVF. He was a wonderful man and his death has devastated everyone who knew him. At his airsoft site he would throw anyone out who made any sectarian comments. It's ridiculous that a good man's name is being dragged through the mud just so the PSNI can pretend their doing something about the paramilitaries in northern ireland.
Posted by Unknown | 18.10.08, 13:52 GMT
Well that's a turn up for the books.
Well at least all those so called unionists (a somewhat undemocratic state), who constantly haranged Sinn fein over photographic evidence of the IRA's disarming can now see their own weapons of terrorism broadcast on the media albiet not volenterarily
Posted by Michael | 17.10.08, 20:37 GMT
To Aussie - Great to hear your thoughts on what it is to live in a normal society. The thing is, there are few countries in the world that don't have problems. Being Irish i am fully aware that Ireland has its problems but, they are being addressed.
"This is all from an Australian who lives in a great multi cultural society where people get on in harmony" - Pull the other one mate!
For 300 years the Australian people have brutalised, discriminated and I'm sure at times tortured the Aborigines. And lets not forget the Nauru and Manus Island detention camps.
Posted by emmanuel | 17.10.08, 19:45 GMT
... and in a normal society the indigenous people are not persecuted for hundreds of years... Aussie, when your own house is in order feel free to come back and comment on our 'society' again.
Posted by norn iron | 17.10.08, 19:39 GMT
in a normal society there is no paramilitary groups, none at all
in a normal society there are not flags flying from every lamp post in villages, none at all
in a normal society there isnt band parades of any discription, none at all.
in a normal society people get on and dont care about their neighbours religion
in a normal society kerb stones arent painted red white a blue or green white and orange
in a normal society there is not the same bull that goes on in this part of a small country like Ireland, and this is all from an Australian who lives in a great multi cultural society where people get on in harmony
Posted by Aussie | 17.10.08, 17:11 GMT
Well said John (14.42). It can be described as a successful result, albeit an accidental one.
Posted by soarer | 17.10.08, 16:29 GMT
First and foremost, a criminal number of illegal wepaons has been found -- mroe by accident than by design, it would appear. And since all but the most rabid of Republicans has disarmed, it's more than likely this arsenal was to be used to support criminal enterprises. There isn't enough lipstick in Belfast to make this pig look pretty.
Posted by Robert Kenny | 17.10.08, 16:07 GMT
this isn't a protect Northern Ireland from republican enemies find, this is a stash that is used for extortion and drug dealing control, to call them loyalists in the real sense is wrong, protecting the locals from republicans etc, this is purely mafiso style armed gangs who do nothing except corrupt and destroy the very community that they believed they wanted to protect.
Posted by john | 17.10.08, 14:42 GMT
Good point well made Mickey!
Terrorists regardless of what flag they hide under are scum! The less there are the better as far as I am concerned.
As for our politicians, I personally believe that there views dont match the people they are supposed to represent. We need politics that dont linger on the past!
Posted by darren | 17.10.08, 14:32 GMT
Terry, the point is, if you seriously believe republican terrorists have completely decommissioned, you need sectioning. Plus if loyalists wish to take out other loyalists, I for one don't care. It means one less terrorist in our wee country.
Anyway: Shouldn't we be happy that these weapons have been located? Shouldn't we also hope the threat from republican terrorists goes away altogther?
If you can't answer "yes" to both then you needn't be moaning on here.
Posted by mickey | 17.10.08, 13:55 GMT
we shudnt be suprised by this find,we all knew that they were hiding weapons! although i wudnt expect any sort of comment from the DUP condemning this!
Posted by ian gallagher | 17.10.08, 13:54 GMT
With the continued threat from the IRA, it comes as no surprise that some loyalist groups keep weapons.
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Take a look at the number of times Loyalist weapons have been used against the IRA in the past years and compare this to the number of time Loyalists have used their weapons against their fellow Loyalists and you will see just how daft the above statement really is.
Posted by terry | 17.10.08, 13:28 GMT
As a Unionist, it appalls me that these cut throats and murderers in our community continue to hang on to weapons of death. They should take their feet off the neck of the Unionist people and hand over all armaments to the security forces. Maybe then we can source a future free of strife. All the finger pointing at the IRA is nonsense. They varifyably decommissioned ages ago - the only guns threatening my community are those of the gangsters and self appointed Hitlers in the UVF and UDA.
Posted by Trevor Scotland, Bangor | 17.10.08, 13:20 GMT
I don't understand why people are calling the DUP hypocrites. They can ask loyalist paramilitaries to decommission, but at the end of the day the loyalist politicians who might have any influence over the paramilitaries, do not play any sort of major role in government. The DUP are not a front for loyalist paramilitaries.
Posted by Richard | 17.10.08, 12:48 GMT
and everybody runs round shouting about the IRA. they decomisioned ages ago. the UVF will never give up their wepons. at least the IRA has. Usless Volunteer Force.
Posted by booya | 17.10.08, 12:32 GMT
With the continued threat from the IRA, it comes as no surprise that some loyalist groups keep weapons.
Of course, below, we have the same gurning and finger-pointing from the usual suspects.
Shouldn't we be happy that these weapons have been located? Shouldn't we also hope the threat from republican terrorists goes away altogther?
If you can't answer "yes" to both then you needn't be moaning on here.
Posted by mickey | 17.10.08, 12:00 GMT
As said below this is the tip of the iceberg of loyalist arms dumps. But it’s also the tip of the iceberg of all arms dumps. Republicans, both mainstream and Dissidents have massive amounts of arms as there disposals.
The PSNI need to get there finger out and start raiding these dumps right across Northern Ireland and they also should have a partnership with the Gardai and they should be raiding any Republican dumps across the border.
If things are heading towards normality the PSNI should be able to get rid of these arms once and for all.
Posted by Steve | 17.10.08, 11:54 GMT
And the DUP are still moaning over the IRA's Army Council who decommissioned their weapons long ago? Let's be honest, the DUP had excuse after excuse not to go into power with Sinn Fein, with the big one being decommissioning, the IRA met that pre-condition and the DUP ran out of excuses and now their in government with Sinn Fein. Now, they need an excuse to prevent the handover of policing and justice powers and the IRA Army Council issue has always been one of their favourites, yet, after reading this story that excuse becomes a bit hypocritical. Both Sinn Fein and the DUP need to get working and start getting results because it is the people and the county's economy which are suffering but the DUP need to stop using petty, hypocritical excuses to stall everytime they get cold feet!!
Posted by Liam | 17.10.08, 11:35 GMT
About time the loyalists hand in their guns.
Posted by Liam | 17.10.08, 11:33 GMT
22 Comments