Man charged after UDA arms find

POLICE probing a major loyalist paramilitary weapons dump in Northern Ireland last night charged a man with possessing guns and explosives.

The 39-year-old accused is due to appear at Laganside Magistrates Court in Belfast today.

Ten guns, two pipe bombs, a booby-trap device and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were found in two hold-alls in the loft of a house in the staunchly loyalist Rathcoole Estate on the northern outskirts of the city on Tuesday.

Detectives believe the weapons belonged to the Ulster Defence Association, Northern Ireland’s largest loyalist terror organisation.

Tests are to be carried out on the guns to see if they were used in previous sectarian killings.

Inspector John McVea said the raid on Rathcoole Estate was part of a major crackdown on paramilitaries: “It is part of continuing investigations into loyalist paramilitary activity and particularly recent sectarian murders in the North Belfast and Rathcoole areas.”

Forensic experts have already carried out DNA testing and will carry out further examinations to discover if the weapons had been fired before.

Police believe the weapons cache found yesterday belonged to the Ulster Defence Association, which last year murdered Catholic postman Daniel McGolgan at Rathcoole Sorting Office and Protestant teenager Gavin Brett, gunned down as he stood with friends a mile away in Glengormley.

Earlier this year the UDA shot Catholic teenager Gerard Lawlor dead in the nearby Whitewell area. He was singled out because he was wearing a Glasgow Celtic shirt.

Inspector McVea said yesterday’s discovery of 10 guns, two pipe bombs, a booby trap device and hundreds of rounds of ammunition had almost certainly saved more lives.

“In my opinion the people who have control and access to these weapons have murder in their minds and we are obviously delighted to have these weapons out of their hands.

“I would believe it is a setback to them.” he added. “It is a significant find.”

Police in North Belfast yesterday displayed the weapons, which included home-made sub-machine guns, a shotgun, machine pistols, pipe bombs and a deadly device designed to kill somebody opening a door.