Police have confiscated eight firearms and three pipe bombs following a planned operation against the East Belfast UVF on Friday evening.
Two security alerts were issued in the lower Newtownards Road area after suspicious materials were uncovered during searches.
The operation lasted until Saturday morning’s early hours.
It involved searches of three residential and one commercial property.
Four guys, ages 34, 47, 49, and 51, have been detained and questioned.
During the searches, two vehicles were also seized along with a considerable number of varied ammunition, balaclavas, and UVF flags.
The searches resulted in two security alerts that necessitated the evacuation of properties in the Connswater Grove neighborhood and near the Skainos Center.
‘Reckless storage’
Det Ch Supt. Andy Hill of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) hailed the seizures as substantial.
“We are thrilled that we were able to remove these weapons from the streets, which we believe would have been utilized to attack the community,” he added.
“Due to the irresponsible placement of these explosive devices, local police were forced to close roads and evacuate residents in two distinct sections of the lower Newtownards Road last night, causing disturbance for those attempting to go about their daily routine.
We appreciate the public’s patience.
He stated that the paramilitary crime task team will continue its “relentless pursuit” of the East Belfast UVF and urged anyone with knowledge of paramilitaries and their criminal behavior to contact the police.
Who are the UVF in East Belfast?
The East Belfast UVF is a subset of the loyalist paramilitary organization the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), which killed over 500 people during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
In 1994, they proclaimed a cessation of hostilities and vowed to discontinue their violence.
Police investigating drug sales and other crimes have targeted the East Belfast UVF in recent years.
In 2021, the organization was linked to a meeting of masked men in east Belfast’s Pitt Park.
