Man arrested and counterfeit cigarettes seized in anti-dissident republican operation

A man has been arrested on suspicion of fraud and money laundering, and a quantity of suspected cigarettes seized, during searches linked to dissident republicans in Belfast and Co Antrim.

By Mark Rainey

Published 13th Oct 2021, 18:04 BST

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The 56-year-old is being questioned at Musgrave police station in Belfast.

Police said suspected Class A and Class B drugs and a quantity of cash were also seized for further examination on Wednesday.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Griffin said: “The arrest and searches carried out today are part of our ongoing investigation relating to fraud and money laundering activity involving significant sums of money, which we believe is being used to fund criminal behaviour linked to the New IRA.

“We will continue to use all tools at our disposal to reduce the threat posed by violent dissident republicans and I would encourage anyone with information in relation to the New IRA to contact police.”