dissident swoop Four arrests made in dissident republicanism investigation in Derry

Several properties were searched during the investigation

Jamie McDowell

March 11 2021 01:22 PM

Four people have been arrested by police investigating dissident republican activity in Northern Ireland.

Detectives from Strand Road station in Derry, together with the PSNI's Terrorism Investigation Unit made the arrests yesterday following a number of searches at residential premises.

Three men, aged 49, 21 and 19 were detained under the Terrorism Act.

A 61-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The three arrested under the Terrorism Act have since been released.

The 61-year-old has been released pending a report to the PPS.

Three of the searches were undertaken in Derry and another one was carried out in the Dungiven area.

A house was also searched by officers in Limavady.

A number of items were seized during the searches, including clothing and electronic devices which were taken away for forensic examination.

Detective Inspector Finlay said: “The proactive policing operation conducted [on Wednesday] outlines our commitment to tackling serious crime in our communities.

“We would encourage anyone with information that could assist in our efforts to contact us on the non-emergency number 101."