Guns seized in Antrim

Guns have been seized after police foiled a loyalist blackmail bid on a businessman in Co Antrim, it was revealed today.

A sawn-off shotgun, a handgun, ammunition and other undisclosed items were taken away for examination.

They were discovered in searches of houses in the Ballysillan and Silverstream areas of north Belfast.

It followed the arrest of five men last night as part of an operation involving detectives belonging to the organised crime squad.

They were investigating the attempted extortion of money from a businessman in the Nutts Corner area of Co Antrim.