A plumber stopped with as much as £30,000 value of natural hashish within the boot of his automotive is allegedly a senior determine inside the East Belfast UVF, a courtroom heard immediately.
John McIver was arrested on Thursday in an operation by PSNI Paramilitary Crime Activity Power officers.
The 43-year-old, of Millmount Village Drive in Dundonald, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court docket charged with possessing felony property and Class B medication with intent to provide.
An investigating detective mentioned searches carried out after the automotive was stopped within the east of town uncovered 2-2.5kilos of natural hashish inside a holdall within the boot.
A amount of money, suspected seller baggage and two cellphones had been additionally seized.
McIver made no remark all through police interviews.
“That is a part of an ongoing investigation into the East Belfast UVF,” the detective mentioned.
Regardless of acknowledging the defendant will not be charged with any terrorist offences, he claimed “the road between organised crime and former paramilitary teams is changing into ever extra blurred”.
The detective added: “Police consider Mr McIver is a outstanding and senior determine inside the East Belfast UVF.”
District Decide Amanda Brady was advised the seized medication are value tens of 1000's of kilos.
“This can be a vital arrest that may considerably disrupt the medication criminality inside east Belfast,” the detective predicted.
Underneath cross-examination, nonetheless, he couldn't present any proof to again claims that McIver is related to the UVF.
Defence solicitor Mark Austin argued that the peak of the case towards his shopper includes an alleged function as a courier who's not of any use to criminals.
“The one proof is that this man was shifting medication from one location to a different and was stopped,” Mr Austin insisted.
“No matter was occurring, this man is now burned.”
The courtroom heard McIver is a self-employed plumber and father-of-two whose household have been torn aside by his arrest.
“His spouse is distraught… she doesn’t know what to do,” Mr Austin mentioned.
Refusing bail, Decide Brady cited the danger of re-offending.
She remanded McIver in custody, to look once more by video-link on October 14.