Shoukri Death, 'Not Suspicious'

A former leading UDA figure has died suddenly.

Thirty-four-year-old Ihab Shoukri died in Newtownabbey on Saturday night after what it is believed to have been a drug overdose.

Police have confirmed that the body of a man believed to be the north Belfast terror boss was found over the weekend at a house in the Grainon Way area of Newtownabbey.

It is understood there were no early signs of a suspicious death

Shoukri, originally from the Westland estate, was jailed for 15 months in June after admitting being a member of the UDA and supporting it.

He was later released in a matter of weeks because of the amount of time he had spent in prison while awaiting trial.

He had been arrested along with a number of other men at a north Belfast bar where a UDA 'show of strength' was being planned.

Ihab Shoukri and his brother Andre were expelled from the UDA two years ago after setting up a breakaway faction in south east Antrim after the faction had been accused of involvement in widespread criminality, including drug dealing.

Ihab Shoukri then took over leadership of the breakaway-group in November last year after his brother was also jailed - for nine years - on charges including blackmail and intimidation.

(BMcC)