PSNI officers told not to stop, fine or arrest members of political group Saoradh until further notice

This has included an anti PSNI poster and leafleting campaign in north and west Belfast, with Saoradh planning street protests in August.

The group has been in disarray since last year when an MI5 sting took out what was alleged to be the leadership of the New IRA, with several senior members of Saoradh among the 11 people arrested and remanded in custody.

Since then the strongest arm of the New IRA in Derry has been operating as a separate entity, highly distrustful of those based in Belfast who had been heavily infiltrated by MI5 agent Denis McFadden.

McFadden, a former Special Constable from Glasgow, had been embedded with the New IRA for over 10 years and was a member of Saoradh.

Eight men and two women are currently in custody accused of a total of 39 offences, including directing terrorism and trying to obtain Semtex explosives following the sting.

McFadden went missing just days before the leading republicans were arrested based on evidence from two meetings in Co Tyrone of what was alleged in court to be the New IRA leadership.

The alleged meetings of the New IRA executive in February and July 2020 were held in two properties rented by McFadden, bugged with cameras and listening devices.

A Palestinian doctor, Issam Bassalat was also among those present at one of the meetings and is currently being held on remand in Maghaberry prison.

Since the arrests, New IRA activity has decreased considerably, with the Derry unit of the organisation mainly involved in vigilante style attacks and paramilitary style shootings.

The first attempt to regroup was in April when a firebomb style device was left beside the car of a female part-time police officer near Dungiven.

It is believed the officer was about to get into the vehicle with her three year old daughter when she spotted the suspicious object.

In June of this year six tower blocks in the New Lodge area of north Belfast were searched for explosives believed to have been stored there by the New IRA.

The Newry and Armagh wing of Saoradh has also increased activity recently, with the New IRA leader in that area having close ties to Derry, leading the upsurge.

In recent weeks the group has disrupted five public community safety meetings with members of the PSNI present, two had to be called off a result of protests and fears of attacks on officers.

Despite this, uniformed officers have been given a supervision direction not to arrest any suspected members of the group until further notice.

Officers have been ordered to collect bodycam footage and take notes of who is present at any protests or demonstrations but not to interfere or make any arrests. Sources say that the order would indicate an intelligence-led operation against the New IRA may be in the advanced stages, and that despite the very public outing of an agent last year, the organisation remains heavily infiltrated.