21/11/2002

Police seize weapons and drugs in loyalist stronghold

Police has seized a substantial amount of weapons, ammunition and drugs during a raid in north Belfast yesterday.

Three people were arrested during the raid in the loyalist Westland area of the city in which an AK47 rifle, handguns and component parts for other weapons were found.

Around 3,000 ecstasy tablets and nine bars of cannabis, with a street value of £37,000 were also found during the searches.

SDLP assembly member Alex Attwood described the seizure as encouraging but said that there must be a further development in combating loyalist crime.

He said: "It is encouraging that there has been arrests and seizure of loyalist guns. This is another useful step in facing down loyalist crime, threat and terror. This strategy needs to be developed and accelerated until the loyalist crime leadership is pursued, prosecuted and in prison."

A police spokesperson described the find as "very significant".

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