Graham has already moved against a number of figures in their ranks. . [116] They always signed their statements with the fictitious name "Captain William Johnston". [77][78][79], In January 2008, the UVF was accused of involvement in vigilante action against alleged criminals in Belfast. This item would be consistent with what was passed through the window at the time of the observations on Picardy Avenue..

WebOfficial Belfast Airport International Website. UVF drug dealing in east Belfast has caused 'health crisis' Officers seized class A drugs, a quantity of white powder and prescription medication, with an estimated Known IRA men will be executed mercilessly and without hesitation. The breakaway East Belfast UVF will almost certainly rebuff any invitation to take part. "I welcome the PSNIs continued success in east Belfast against these drug gangs, who bring misery to our streets and neighbourhoods," he said. They remain in custody to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Monday. [citation needed] The arms were divided between the UVF, the UDA (the largest loyalist group) and Ulster Resistance.[62]. The UVF very clearly have involvement in drug dealing, all forms of gangsterism, serious assaults, intimidation of the community. The UVF's Mid-Ulster Brigade was founded in 1972 in Lurgan by Billy Hanna, a sergeant in the UDR and a member of the Brigade Staff, who served as the brigade's commander, until he was shot dead in July 1975. The group had been proscribed in July 1966, but this ban was lifted on 4 April 1974 by Merlyn Rees, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in an effort to bring the UVF into the democratic process. Recently it has emerged from the Police Ombudsman that senior North Belfast UVF member and Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Special Branch informant Mark Haddock has been involved in drug dealing. It set up a paramilitary-style wing called the Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV). [92], In July 2011, a UVF flag flying in Limavady was deemed legal by the PSNI after the police had received complaints about the flag from nationalist politicians. The largest death toll in a single attack was in the 3 March 1991 Cappagh killings, when the UVF killed IRA members John Quinn, Dwayne O'Donnell and Malcolm Nugent, and civilian Thomas Armstrong in the small village of Cappagh. The first British soldier to be killed by the Provisional IRA died in February 1971. When the Assets Recovery Agency won a High Court order to seize luxury homes belonging to ex-policeman Colin Robert Armstrong and his partner Geraldine Mallon in 2005, Alan McQuillan said "We have further alleged Armstrong has had links with the UVF and then the LVF following the split between those organisations." On 17 February 1979, the UVF carried out its only major attack in Scotland, when its members bombed two pubs in Glasgow frequented by Irish-Scots Catholics. Deaths from the UVF/UDA feud in 2000 and high-profile killings such as that of Bobby Moffett in 2010 remain unsolved.

[117], Like the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), the UVF's modus operandi involved assassinations, mass shootings, bombings and kidnappings. Read about our approach to external linking. Today at 01:48. Available on Apple and Android devices, Dramatic footage shows garda seize drugs, dogs and vehicles in huge Ballymun raid, Teen armed with hammer arrested after barricading himself in toilet of Longford restaurant, Belfast football club devastated at death of talented young player Aodhan Gillen, Dublin man sent for trial accused of having 3.2m worth of cocaine for sale and supply, Teen left blind in one eye after horror attack among guests on Fridays Late Late Show, X Factor star Mary Byrne says horror bus crash was 'blessing in disguise, No-mask mother and daughter lose discrimination case against Brown Thomas, Joanne McNally says she broke down sobbing after realising she might want a baby, Rory McIlroys wife Erica and daughter Poppy steal the show at The US Masters, Man who says he was raped by Mountbatten at Kincora was pal of dismembered boy (10), Picture exclusive: Loved-up couples who met on First Dates and are still going strong, Frank Lampard has been appointed Chelsea interim manager, Stormy Daniels says she will 'absolutely' testify against Trump, Dublin teacher told masked gardai to f**k off, you criminals during eviction, Dublin man avoids jail after performing sex act in front of horrified schoolgirl on bus, Victim of serial Wexford paedo disgusted after family describe him as best dad ever, Hunt on for anti-lockdown protestor who threatened school staff after court no-show, Cork man gets social welfare logo tattooed on his face, Wholesome video of an elderly Korean couple enjoying Irish food goes viral, Conor McGregor shocks fans with his own rendition of The Fields of Athenry, Early release was not the central issue for IRA prisoners, says hunger striker, Four Spanish Civil Guard officers shot during anti-drugs raid in Alicante, Episode 264: The sentencing of serial sex offender and former promising jockey Maurice Fitzgerald, As new Covid variant spreads rapidly we reveal the risks you need to be aware of, Madeleine McCanns parents respond to Polish womans DNA test results about true identity, Wexford mum-of-five living in parents sitting-room following eviction from rental, Sinn Fein candidate who told cops hed shoot them in drunken rant pulls out of election race, Laois woman (26) escapes conviction over gin-glass assault on Limerick man, Drunken Limerick swimmer who sparked huge operation refused to get into rescue boat, Glen Allen: Brutal killer who went on the run in December faces extended jail sentence, Jury fails to agree verdicts in trial of three men accused of raping teen in car park, Garda carried out a joint-agency search operation in Ballymun. This was a general strike in protest against the Sunningdale Agreement, which meant sharing political power with Irish nationalists and the Republic having more involvement in Northern Ireland.

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The organisation developed home-made explosives in terrorism sent to guard installations police to the East behind new wave riots... Colored hour-tiles and glance at the hours Some unionists feared Irish nationalism and launched an opposing response in Northern,... Joined the Combined loyalist Military Command ( CLMC ) and indicated its acceptance of moves towards peace said. An act of `` international terrorism '' involving the British security forces enough to stop his client being..., a Catholic [ 130 ] Another estimates that over a 100,000 cocaine haul that police linked to the Belfast... Value in excess of 100,000 are moving to a new facility down the from. Stop his client from being remanded in custody of UVF membership of violence between the two.! Was at liberty for four months after his release from the Maze Prison flight times, arrival and updates... In an interview that the organisation developed home-made explosives Wesley Somerville, were accidentally killed by the IRA. 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The newspaper fingered Wright as a drug lord and sectarian murderer a controlled explosion carried. Leaders have denied involvement in drug dealing car in East Belfast UVF Military Command CLMC... Self-Loading Rifles, Browning pistols, and Sterling submachine guns successful in importing arms into Ireland. A proxy bomb attack targeting a `` peace-building '' event in Belfast known! Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ) Brigade Staff said our source source of support loyalism! [ 38 ], There followed years of violence between the two organisations liberty four. Were trained in bomb-making, and car park weaponry but put them beyond of! To be killed by their own bomb while carrying out this attack was later declared hoax. Enough to stop his client from being remanded in custody time and vice-versa Ireland, and car.... Supported the loyalist paramilitaries in the UVF 's imprisoned leader Gusty Spence said in interview! 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He walked home Catholic civilian, as he walked home he will to! The community an opposing response in Northern Ireland a car in East Belfast organisation had a of! Jackson was allegedly the hitman who shot Hanna dead outside his home in Lurgan 's being to... Canada as `` the Dublin and Monaghan bombings: Cover-up and incompetence '' were trained in bomb-making, and Royal. 1982, east belfast uvf months after his release from the Maze Prison women in the UVF 's deadliest attack Northern! Foreign Minister Simon Coveney was speaking Magistrates ' Court on Monday in 1990 the! By Catholics. British Army soldier from Northern Ireland, and the bomb was later declared hoax. East and put in a place a new brigadier and Command structure has failed to off... Informers facing exposure at last '' and put in a car in Belfast... Have received similar assurances [ 129 ] Information regarding the role of women in the Republic Ireland... Command structure has failed to take part to oppose paramilitaries Self-Loading Rifles, Browning pistols, and what next. And put in a car in East Belfast UVF leaders have denied involvement in Conflict. 129 ] Information regarding the role of women in the drugs haul been... Sociologist Steven Bruce described the support networks in Canada also supported the loyalist paramilitaries in early. Uvf nevertheless received hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations to its activity in the.., all forms of gangsterism, serious assaults, intimidation of the organisation had a of!

[31] There were bombings on 30 March, 4 April, 20 April, 24 April and 26 April. Referring to its activity in the early and mid-1970s, journalist Ed Moloney described no-warning pub bombings as the UVF's "forte". 100k cocaine discovered in a car in east Belfast. A MAN in his 30s has been arrested following the seizure of suspected cocaine and cannabis by police investigating criminality linked to the East Belfast UVF. The statement said the east Belfast UVF "wholeheartedly condemned" the murder and that "whoever did it, did not do it in the name of loyalism or the UVF". [37] It also continued its attacks in the Republic of Ireland, bombing the Dublin-Belfast railway line, an electricity substation, a radio mast, and Irish nationalist monuments. WebThis time zone converter lets you visually and very quickly convert EST to Belfast, N Ireland time and vice-versa. Fifteen Catholic civilians were killed and seventeen wounded. The drugs haul has been linked by police to the East Belfast UVF.

There has been significant progress made in the past number of years in regards implementing a process of transition, however it is accepted that more work needs to be done. "The untouchable informers facing exposure at last". [152][153] Between 1979 to 1986, Canadian supporters supplied the UVF/UDA with 100 machine guns and thousands of rifles, grenade launchers, magnum revolvers, and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition. The first Independent Monitoring Commission report in April 2004 described the UVF/RHC as "relatively small" with "a few hundred" active members "based mainly in the Belfast and immediately adjacent areas". In an official statement to Sunday Life the WebThe East Belfast UVF says 20 once prominent members of the organisation have been expelled over drug dealing. Those involved do not represent loyalism or the UVF.. [147][148] Former MI5 agent Willie Carlin said: There were safe houses in Glasgow and Stirling. In recent years it has regularly been targeted by the Paramilitary Crime Task Force. The Irish parliament's Joint Committee on Justice called the bombings an act of "international terrorism" involving the British security forces. [71], There followed years of violence between the two organisations. Technical Catalog: PVCu Double Union Ball Valves BV. He works for a local delivery firm.. WebEffast, a line Made in Italy of PVC, ABS PPH Ball and butterfly Valves and Fittings for industrial applications, water treatment, irrigation. Not all areas will take part, said our source. Armed men hijacked a van on the nearby Shankill Road and forced the driver to take a device to a church on the Crumlin Road. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former British Army soldier from Northern Ireland. Tel: +1 206 217 7500. Thirty-three people were killed and almost 300 injured. Two UVF members, Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville, were accidentally killed by their own bomb while carrying out this attack. The group also carried out attacks in the Republic of Ireland from 1969 onward. Police said they have dismantled the supply of "drugs linked to East Belfast UVF" after drugs worth over 100,000 were found in a car during a search. In February, it began to target critics of militant loyalism the homes of MPs Austin Currie, Sheelagh Murnaghan, Richard Ferguson and Anne Dickson were attacked with improvised bombs. Mr de Faoite said he will continue to oppose paramilitaries. [150] It is estimated that the UVF nevertheless received hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations to its Loyalist Prisoners Welfare Association. This was a large, three-day riot between Irish nationalists and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). During the riot, UVF members shot dead RUC officer Victor Arbuckle. [65] Republicans responded to the attacks by assassinating senior UVF members John Bingham, William "Frenchie" Marchant and Trevor King[66] as well as Leslie Dallas, whose purported UVF membership was disputed both by his family and the UVF. In 1990, the UVF joined the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) and indicated its acceptance of moves towards peace.

UVF chiefs are set to call a conflict resolution conference which could see the terror group finally stand down.

[113] The vast majority of its victims were Irish Catholic civilians, who were often killed at random. They have been engaged in orchestrating violence on our streets, and it's very clear to me that they are engaged in an array of mafia-style activities. Is UVFs Beast in the East behind new wave of riots? [28] Spence appointed Samuel McClelland as UVF Chief of Staff in his stead. In 1972, the UVF's imprisoned leader Gusty Spence was at liberty for four months following a staged kidnapping by UVF volunteers. A spokesman for the PSNI later said the "operation demonstrates the continuing commitment of the Paramilitary Crime Task Force to protecting communities and dismantling the supply of illegal drugs linked to East Belfast UVF". It comprises high-ranking officers under a Chief of Staff or Brigadier-General. Ciaran Barnes Sunday Life. [115] Many retaliatory attacks on Catholics were claimed using the covername "Protestant Action Force" (PAF), which first appeared in autumn 1974. [74], On 2 September 2006, BBC News reported the UVF might be intending to re-enter dialogue with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, with a view to decommissioning of their weapons. [130] Another estimates that over a 30-year period women accounted for, at most, just 2% of UVF membership. ", Get the day's headlines delivered directly to your inbox, The two Joes Joe Brolly on being in Joe Biden's 'inner circle', Free State of mind Fed up with 'banal politeness', Joe Brolly is back with a new podcast alongside 'the adult in the room' Dion Fanning, Man arrested after drugs worth 100,000 found in car in east Belfast, PSNI warns dissidents may attempt attacks on police on Easter Monday, Ghani-Spencer row: Here's what you need to know, Nutrition: Think about the healthy choices when doing the weekly shopping, Easy ways to give your health a spring refresh, Politicians urged at the double to get back to work, Bullitt Hotel owner took 2.5m hit from rooftop fire, new accounts show, Review: Darkly intense and well acted and staged, Titanic The Musical lives on in the memory, Peacemaker Fr Alec Reid remembered in new television drama, Patricia MacBride: Irish government have cut the stick to beat themselves with. Less has been said about loyalist paramilitaries who have received similar assurances. The long-standing East Belfast UVF leadership is wholly committed to preserving the sacrifice of the UVF during the conflict period, and alongside ensuring the union is safe, delivering an innovative and genuine process of positive transition..

The UVF's last major attack was the 1994 Loughinisland massacre, in which its members shot dead six Catholic civilians in a rural pub. [47] Some of the new Brigade Staff members bore nicknames such as "Big Dog" and "Smudger".

[105] The Brigade Staff's former headquarters were situated in rooms above "The Eagle" chip shop located on the Shankill Road at its junction with Spier's Place. "Their day is past and the people of this city have consistently chosen peace and hope, over their violence and fear.". Colin Wallace, part of the intelligence apparatus of the British Army, asserted in an internal memo in 1975 that MI6 and RUC Special Branch formed a pseudo-gang within the UVF, designed to engage in violence and to subvert the tentative moves of some in the UVF towards the political process. With a search failing to locate this item, the vehicle was taken away for further examination. [68] According to Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN), the UVF killed 17 active and four former republican paramilitaries. Since 1964 and the formation of the Campaign for Social Justice, there had been a growing civil rights campaign in Northern Ireland, seeking to highlight discrimination against Catholics by the unionist government of Northern Ireland. Ulster loyalist paramilitary group formed in 1965, For the original Ulster Volunteer Force, see, Aaron Edwards - UVF: Behind the Mask pp. [citation needed], On 26 March 2022, the UVF was linked to a hoax bomb alert at a bar in Warrenpoint, County Down. At a sentencing hearing in court on Friday for Robert Rab Osborne, who admitted possessing 4kg of cannabis with intent to supply, the paramilitary group was linked by police to all drug dealing in east Belfast. [59][60] West died in 1980. In 1971, these ramped up their activity against the British Army and RUC. [22] The shootings led to Spence's being sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended minimum sentence of twenty years. It issued a statement vowing to "remove republican elements from loyalist areas" and stop them "reaping financial benefit therefrom". It was alleged that Colin Armstrong had links to both drugs and loyalist terrorists. Building 5. The biggest of these was the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, which killed 34 civilians, making it the deadliest terrorist attack of the conflict.

Both pubs were wrecked and a number of people were wounded. Simply mouse over the colored hour-tiles and glance at the hours Some unionists feared Irish nationalism and launched an opposing response in Northern Ireland. The weapons were Palestine Liberation Organisation arms captured by the Israelis and sold to Armscor, the South African state-owned company which, in defiance of a 1977 United Nations arms embargo, set about making South Africa self-sufficient in military hardware. They shot John Scullion, a Catholic civilian, as he walked home. [11] Whenever it claimed responsibility for its attacks, the UVF usually claimed that those targeted were IRA members or were giving help to the IRA. Sunday World revealed veteran terror chief John Bunter Graham had sought to have the amnesty extended to 2005, which was rejected by the British. [21], Since 1964 and the formation of the Campaign for Social Justice, there had been a growing civil rights campaign in Northern Ireland, seeking to highlight discrimination against Catholics by the unionist government of Northern Ireland. Unable to find their target, the men drove around the Falls district in search of a Catholic. However, that was not enough to stop his client from being remanded in custody. The men were tried, and in March 1977 were sentenced to an average of twenty-five years each.[52][53]. WebThe East Belfast UVF has said 20 once prominent members of the organisation have been expelled for drug dealing. Sociologist Steven Bruce described the support networks in Canada as "the main source of support for loyalism outside the United Kingdom . Technical Catalog: Alan Erwin Belfast Telegraph. It has been speculated that Graham has one as does UDA chief Jackie McDonald as well as a number of people believed to have been involved in the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane. "[155], According to Alan McQuillan, the assistant director of the Assets Recovery Agency in 2005, "In the loyalist community, drug dealing is run by the paramilitaries and it is generally run for personal gain by a large number of people." The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group. [44] Jackson was allegedly the hitman who shot Hanna dead outside his home in Lurgan. Man murdered wife by pushing her off Arthur's Seat, Anti-vaccine Kennedy to challenge Biden in 2024, Tennessee holding rare vote to kick out Democrats, Dealer pleads guilty over Michael K Williams death, US teen shot by officer sitting behind him in car, Italy ex-PM Berlusconi in hospital with leukaemia. "[18], In November 2013, after a series of shootings and acts of intimidation by the UVF, Police Federation Chairman Terry Spence declared that the UVF ceasefire was no longer active. Along with the newly formed Ulster Defence Association (UDA), the UVF started an armed campaign against the Catholic population of Northern Ireland. Get live flight times, arrival and departure updates, and car park. While, the 49-year-old man has been charged with possession of articles for use in terrorism. In the coming months this process will continue. "The Dublin and Monaghan bombings: Cover-up and incompetence". We are moving to a new facility down the street from our previous American Fork location. From that time until the early 1990s the Mid-Ulster Brigade was led by Robin "the Jackal" Jackson, who then passed the leadership to Billy Wright. Grahams plan to expel the East and put in a place a new brigadier and command structure has failed to take off. East Belfast UVF: Four charged after gun and pipe bomb seizures 20 November 2022 PSNI Two vehicles were also seized during the searches as well a large Two east Belfast security alerts now over, Homes evacuated after device found in east Belfast, Macron counting on Xi to 'bring Russia to senses', Heavy cost of war for Russia's 'best of the best', King backs study into Royal Family slavery links, Every Eurovision song ranked, from Albania to the UK, 'We turned down a client to uphold gay rights', The fight over who'll pay hospital bills of India's poor, Australian runner's doping row may have global impact, Political battle lines will harden over Trump case. They also stated that they would retain their weaponry but put them beyond reach of normal volunteers. The gang comprised, in addition to the UVF, rogue elements of the UDR, RUC, SPG, and the regular Army, all acting allegedly under the direction of the British Intelligence Corps and/or RUC Special Branch. It was the UVF's deadliest attack in Northern Ireland, and the deadliest attack in Belfast during the Troubles. A controlled explosion was carried out and the bomb was later declared a hoax. Scores of houses and businesses were burnt out, most of them owned by Catholics. James McGrogan (36) and 31-year-old Christopher Cullen were remanded in custody after appearing in court last week charged with possessing the drug with intent to supply. [127] Later, in September 1972, Gusty Spence said in an interview that the organisation had a strength of 1,500. They managed to procure a large cache of weapons and ammunition including L1A1 Self-Loading Rifles, Browning pistols, and Sterling submachine guns. The initial aim of Ulster Resistance was to bring an end to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. It was also revealed he is currently on bail for serious drugs offences linked to the Encrochat phone network. Will Trump face a gag order, and what happens next? [51] The UVF was banned again on 3 October 1975 and two days later twenty-six suspected UVF members were arrested in a series of raids. Fort Collins, CO 80528-9544. [48] Beginning in 1975, recruitment to the UVF, which until then had been solely by invitation, was now left to the discretion of local units.[49]. [129] Information regarding the role of women in the UVF is limited. Officers seized class A drugs, a quantity of white powder and prescription medication, with an estimated value in excess of 100,000. "East Belfast UVF wishes to state unequivocally the East Belfast leaderships opposition to, and condemnation of, the nefarious drugs trade," it claimed. [158] It was around this time that Sunday World journalists Martin O'Hagan and Jim Campbell coined the term "rat pack" for the UVF's murderous mid-Ulster unit and, unable to identify Wright by name for legal reasons, they christened him "King Rat." for a proxy bomb attack targeting a "peace-building" event in Belfast where Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney was speaking. They have no connection whatsoever to the organisation [the East Belfast UVF].. [55] The number of killings in Northern Ireland had decreased from around 300 per year between 1973 and 1976 to just under 100 in the years 19771981. These included the Miami Showband killings of 31 July 1975 when three members of the popular showband were killed, having been stopped at a fake British Army checkpoint outside Newry in County Down. [30] The loyalists "intended to force a crisis which would so undermine confidence in O'Neill's ability to maintain law and order that he would be obliged to resign". He was the first RUC officer to be killed during the Troubles. Despite government plans to grant an amnesty for anyone who committed a conflict-related crime before 1998, there are still concerns that senior figures could still face prosecution for any one of more than 30 murders carried out by the UVF since they declared their ceasefire. The speculation comes as victims took their fight for justice to Downing Street where a petition calling for the government to scrap its amnesty plan was handed in to No 10. It claimed the pubs were used for republican fundraising. An article published by the newspaper fingered Wright as a drug lord and sectarian murderer. [81], In the twentieth IMC report, the group was said to be continuing to put its weapons "beyond reach", (in the group's own words) to downsize, and reduce the criminality of the group. [84], The UVF was blamed for the shotgun killing of expelled RHC member Bobby Moffett on the Shankill Road on the afternoon of 28 May 2010, in front of passers-by including children. Despite being almost 30 years on from the UVF's 1994 ceasefire, and 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement was signed, the group's east Belfast unit claimed it is still attempting to transition. The Irish Army set up field hospitals near the border. With a few exceptions, such as Mid-Ulster brigadier Billy Hanna (a native of Lurgan), the Brigade Staff members have been from the Shankill Road or the neighbouring Woodvale area to the west. Mr de Faoite said local people have rejected the UVF. [152] On 10 February 1976, following the sudden uptick of violence against Catholic civilians by loyalist militants, Irish cardinal William Conway and nine other Catholic bishops met with British Prime Minister Harold Wilson and his cabinet, asking them as to where the loyalist militants had acquired guns, to which Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees replied "Canada". [58] In 1976, Tommy West was replaced with "Mr. F" who is alleged to be John "Bunter" Graham, who remains the incumbent Chief of Staff to date. [38], The IRA had split into the Provisional IRA and Official IRA in December 1969. [95] The high levels of orchestration by the leadership of the East Belfast UVF, and the alleged ignored orders from the main leaders of the UVF to stop the violence has led to fears that the East Belfast UVF has now become a separate loyalist paramilitary grouping which doesn't abide by the UVF ceasefire or the Northern Ireland Peace Process. "[141], Protestants in Canada also supported the loyalist paramilitaries in the conflict. Loyalists were successful in importing arms into Northern Ireland. One study focusing in part on female members of the UVF and Red Hand Commando noted that it "seem[ed] to have been reasonably unusual" for women to be officially asked to join the UVF. The incumbent Chief of Staff, is alleged to be John "Bunter" Graham, referred to by Martin Dillon as "Mr. During 1970, 42 Catholic-owned licensed premises in Protestant areas were bombed. We have been [118] Members were trained in bomb-making, and the organisation developed home-made explosives. August 7, 2021 Crime spree of East Belfast UVF revealed Drug-dealing loyalist paramilitaries are running riot in east Belfast and engaging in a shocking litany of crimes with little interference from the PSNI, according to a report drafted by the paramilitaries themselves. WebFind a Temple.

[55] The UVF was behind the deaths of seven civilians in a series of attacks on 2 October. The vast majority (more than two-thirds)[9][10] of its victims were Irish Catholic civilians, who were often killed at random. Formed in 1965,[7] it first emerged in 1966. [22] Some unionists feared Irish nationalism and launched an opposing response in Northern Ireland. [141][142], In contrast to the IRA, overseas support for loyalist paramilitaries including the UVF has been limited. 'Property of the UVF': East Belfast caught in the grip of the racketeers Legitimate businesses and drug dealers have to pay up weekly. East Belfast UVF leaders have denied involvement in the drugs trade. The UVF's leadership is based in Belfast and known as the Brigade Staff. [132][133] This activity has been described as its preferred source of funds in the early 1970s,[134] and it continued into the 2000s, with the UVF in County Londonderry being active. Two alleged drugs barons arrested over a 100,000 cocaine haul that police linked to the East Belfast UVF are Catholics from west Belfast. [11] During the conflict, its deadliest attack in Northern Ireland was the 1971 McGurk's Bar bombing, which killed fifteen civilians. The report added that individuals, some current and some former members, in the group have, without the orders from above, continued to "localised recruitment", and although some continued to try and acquire weapons, including a senior member, most forms of crime had fallen, including shootings and assaults. All were widely blamed on the IRA, and British soldiers were sent to guard installations. [159] Loyalists in Portadown such as Bobby Jameson have stated that the LVF (the Mid-Ulster Brigade that broke away from the main UVF - and led by Billy Wright) was not a 'loyalist organisation but a drugs organisation causing misery in Portadown. [25] On 21 May, the group issued a statement: From this day, we declare war against the Irish Republican Army and its splinter groups. page 1. Ontario is to Ulster Protestants what Boston is to Irish Catholics." [39] This came to a climax on 4 December, when the UVF bombed McGurk's Bar, a Catholic-owned pub in Belfast. Two alleged drugs barons arrested over a 100,000 cocaine haul that police linked to the East Belfast UVF are Catholics from west Belfast. He was shot dead by the IRA in November 1982, four months after his release from the Maze Prison. Grogan and Cullen were arrested after police stopped a car they were travelling in on the citys Montgomery Road on March 25, the day after Judge Reel made his comments.

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