'Gun expert was selling for profit'
THE north Belfast gun expert who shot himself last week was selling weapons that he converted to fire live ammunition purely for profit, it has been claimed.
Billy Bell, who was in his 50s and a former member of the UDR, is thought to have killed himself with one of the more than 70 weapons found in his house in Ballysillan following his death, along with more than a thousand rounds of ammunition.
More weapons were subsequently discovered in lock-up premises in the Crumlin area.
The UVF was initially held responsible for having the arsenal, sparking concerns about the organisation's intentions after it claimed it was putting all its weapons "beyond use" 16 months ago.
It is now being claimed that Bell, who security forces hinted had links to the UVF, activated imitation guns to sell on to criminals and various paramilitary groups.
It has been claimed that he charged between 300 and 400 for a reactivated weapon.
A loyalist source said: "Billy was able to activate deactivated weapons, that is what he did and was famous, in our circles I suppose, for. It is not that hard a procedure anyway. Although I am not sure who all he sold them on to. It could have been anyone.
"The whole thing has been blown out of proportion. It is not as sinister as it seems to be. He was not a member of the UVF."
PUP spokesman Billy Hutchinson, who acts as the UVF's intermediary with General John de Chastelain's arms decommissioning body, strongly denied the dead man was a member of the UVF or that the weapons belonged to the organisation.
The police still appear to be following a UVF link to the weapons haul.
The dead man, who was described as a gun fanatic, also had a paintballing and combat games business and collected militaria.
He also bought and sold ex-military vehicles for collectors and it is thought he used these pursuits to help cover his illegal activities.
Bell was suffering from cancer and that was said to be the main reason for his suicide.
The weapons find has sparked renewed calls for all loyalist paramilitary groups to decommission.
The Government has warned that time is running out, as the decommissioning body will soon be wound up and anyone then caught with weapons will face the full rigour of the law.
All the weapons seized have been taken to the PSNI and will now undergo extensive ballistic tests to see if they can be connected to any paramilitary or criminal activity.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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