London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

East Belfast UVF operation leads to gun and pipe bomb seizures

East Belfast UVF operation leads to gun and pipe bomb seizures

Police have seized eight handguns and three pipe bombs after a pre-planned operation targeting the East Belfast UVF on Friday night.

Searches took place in the lower Newtownards Road area, with two security alerts being declared after suspicious objects were discovered.

The operation went on into the early hours of Saturday morning.

It involved searches of three residential properties and one business premises.


Police seized eight handguns and three pipe bombs

Four men - aged 34, 47, 49 and 51 - have been arrested and are being questioned.

Two vehicles were also seized during the searches as well a large quantity of assorted ammunition, balaclavas and UVF flags.

The searches led to two security alerts, that required homes to be evacuated in the Connswater Grove area and near the Skainos Centre.


'Reckless storage'


Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Det Ch Supt Andy Hill described the seizures were significant.

"We are really pleased about being able to take these weapons off the streets that would, we feel, have been used to harm the community," he said.

PSNI Det Ch Supt Andy Hill said the find was significant


"The reckless storage of these explosive devices meant local police had to close the roads and evacuate residents in two separate areas of the lower Newtownards Road last night, causing disruption for local people trying to go about their business.

"We thank the public for their patience."

He added that the paramilitary crime task force remains committed to the "relentless pursuit" of the East Belfast UVF and appealed to anyone with any information about paramilitaries and their criminal activity to contact police.


Who are the East Belfast UVF?


The East Belfast UVF are a fraction of the loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), which murdered more than 500 people during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

In 1994, they declared a ceasefire stating they would end their violence.

In recent years, the East Belfast UVF has been targeted by police investigating drug dealing and other criminality.

In 2021, the group were linked to a gathering of masked men in Pitt Park in east Belfast.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×