Police seize ‘materials’ in dissident raids... but cryptic about what they are

However, they refused to elaborate on what these materials actually are (for example, if it was ammunition, clothing, computers, cars, etc).

At 7am this morning the PSNI announced that as part of an operation which sought to unravel the New IRA’s bomb-making activities, officers had arrested a 52-year-old man in the Creggan district in the west of the city.

He was taken to Belfast and held under the Terrorism Act.

The PSNI added: “A detailed forensic examination of a house is currently under way at that location as part of the investigation.

“The New IRA continues to pose a very real danger, most especially to the communities in the areas where they construct and store their bombs and guns.

“Previous investigations have shown time and time again that the New IRA has a callous disregard towards who it might hurt or what it destroys.

“Most starkly they have a chilling indifference to hiding lethally-dangerous weapons and bombs in places where local people can easily stumble across them, unaware of the potential horrific consequences of touching them.

“We have witnessed this all too often in recent times when they have left explosives and weapons near to children’s play-dens and in the middle of housing areas – places that should be sacrosanct and safe.”

Then tonight the PSNI issued a statement saying their searches had concluded.

It said: “Detectives were able to conduct a detailed forensic search and have seized a considerable amount of material for further examination.”

District Commander Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones added that “we strongly believe that sinister elements connected to violent dissident republicans manipulated local youths into attacking police and disrupting today’s search activity... it is detestable that our young people are being used in this manner”.

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