4 BBC journalists arrested in paramilitary probe

FOUR BBC journalists were arrested and a film was seized from them by gardaí investigating paramilitary activity in Co Donegal yesterday.

Another seven people were arrested and were last night being held, along with the BBC personnel, in a number of Garda stations throughout the county.

The first arrests — of the journalists and three others — were made in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The second group of four, including a Derry-based suspected senior Real IRA figure, were held yesterday afternoon near the border at Bridgend, Co Donegal.

The BBC confirmed “a number” of its journalists were held in the first group of seven.

A spokeswoman said they worked for BBC Current Affairs in the North and were on an investigation with full editorial authority under BBC guidelines.

She said “other parties present” during the arrests were aware they were with BBC journalists.

It is understood the journalists included a team working for the Panorama programme on an investigation into diesel-laundering and smuggling along the border. Another team in the group is believed to have been working on a documentary for BBC Northern Ireland on murdered IRA double-agent Denis Donaldson.

He was killed two years ago at a cottage hideaway outside Glenties, Co Donegal, after admitting he spied for the British authorities while holding a senior Sinn Féin position in Belfast.

Gardaí were remaining tight-lipped about the arrests, only say they related to “ongoing investigations into paramilitary activity”.

Six people were being held at Letterkenny Garda Station, two in Milford and two in Burnfoot and one was moved to Ballyshannon after initially being quizzed at Milford.

Solicitors said they were refused access to the arrested people.

One said: “We are getting very little information. We’re not even being told where the arrests happened. I understand the first group was taken into custody about 3 am.”

A high-powered team of anti-terrorist gardaí arrived in Co Donegal from Dublin at 4.15pm yesterday and a conference was under way shortly afterwards at Letterkenny Garda Station.