The Golden God Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 4 Protestants now been arrested. That should silence one side of the country and make the other very chirpy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 Organized crime rather than 'political' supposedly. https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2023/03/02/news/tyrone-based_organised_crime_gang_linked_to_new_ira_shooting_of_john_caldwell-3100531/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 Loyalist criminals with links to republican criminals? Quelle surprise. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 (edited) The dissident Republican groups have very deep and long standing ties to drug dealers and criminals on both sides of the border. You'd probably be accurate to describe some of them as being drug gangs who use Republicanism as a cover. A good example is that the Regency Hotel shooting, when a group of armed men shot dead one man and several others at a boxing weigh-in hosted by Daniel Kinahan, was claimed by the Continuity IRA. We now know it was carried out by the Hutch crime group, with a former Sinn Fein councillor pleading guilty to helping source the weapons and plan the attack. Just a few weeks ago there were reports that some drug dealers in the RC community who've been targeted by rival Republican gangs have sought protection from Loyalist groups. ETA - https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/loyalists-gave-catholic-mob-boss-safe-house-after-sean-fox-murder/42304486.html Edited March 2, 2023 by ICTChris 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 (edited) Don't think we have any evidence either way yet, but it could also be a purely criminal gang wanting John Caldwell dead for their own reasons and leaving false clues pointing towards the New IRA. The New IRA probably wouldn't bother issuing a denial as it keeps them in the news and there wouldn't be any real evidence connecting them individually to the attempted murder. Edited March 2, 2023 by welshbairn 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 7 minutes ago, welshbairn said: Don't think we have any evidence either way yet, but it could also be a purely criminal gang wanting John Caldwell dead for their own reasons and leaving false clues pointing towards the New IRA. The New IRA probably wouldn't bother issuing a denial as it keeps them in the news and there wouldn't be any real evidence connecting them individually to the attempted murder. I thought the New IRA had already claimed responsibility? Maybe this was a "combined" operation. Anyway, these guys will be released shortly without any charges being laid against them in connection with the attempted murder. They might get charged with something else. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 2 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said: I thought the New IRA had already claimed responsibility? Just a note stuck on a wall in the Creggan Estate signed T O'Neil. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 13 minutes ago, welshbairn said: Just a note stuck on a wall in the Creggan Estate signed T O'Neil. Must be P. O'Neill's nephew. Yes, I know that, doesn't mean they didn't do it, or connived in it. However, on the other hand, loyalists are renowned for f****** things up, so who knows? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gannonball Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 (edited) It would be great if this was found out to be a collaboration of loyalists and New IRA members to kill off a bit of support for both sides but let's be honest it's going to a monumental f**k up by the former isn't it? Edited March 2, 2023 by gannonball 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 Probably a radical Alliance Party offshoot. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 Belfast Telegraph claiming that Loyalists provided the guns that New IRA members used to carry out the attempted murder. Paywall I can't get past. New IRA and loyalist drug gang planned DCI Caldwell shooting. Crime group supplied guns used by dissidents to shoot senior officer in front of his young son. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Golden God Posted March 3, 2023 Share Posted March 3, 2023 Mad when the terrorists can work together better than the politicians. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted April 20, 2023 Share Posted April 20, 2023 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65341594 John Caldwell leaves hospital. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted June 2, 2023 Author Share Posted June 2, 2023 There have been charges in this case. I think seven people have been charged, four of whom are members of one family. The father of family is 72 year old Ivor MacLean, who served time for firearms offences in the 1980s and was on the UVF wing of the Maze. Two of his sons have also been charged as has his daughters partner. They are Protestants who are described as ‘known to the police’ - essentially an organised crime family, literally. Also charged are three known dissident Republicans, one of whom was out on bail for an attempt on the life of another PSNI officer. The ‘New’ IRA have again claimed this as an operation of theirs, releasing several statements to that effect, claiming it as an attack on “crown forces”, using the usual terminology. In the court hearing’s the prosecution said that there was a king standing connection between one of Ivor McLeans sons and one of the New IRA members charged. The MacLeans are charged with procuring the vehicles used in the attack and false number plates. The prosecution also alleged that the MacLeans were motivated to help by a vandetta against DCI Caldwell because of his investigative work into robberies and drug dealing. The New IRA were looking for a spectacular to reinvigorate their organisation after it was brought to its knees by MI5 penetration. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 That’s what she said. Or he said. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 54 minutes ago, ICTChris said: There have been charges in this case. I think seven people have been charged, four of whom are members of one family. The father of family is 72 year old Ivor MacLean, who served time for firearms offences in the 1980s and was on the UVF wing of the Maze. Two of his sons have also been charged as has his daughters partner. They are Protestants who are described as ‘known to the police’ - essentially an organised crime family, literally. Also charged are three known dissident Republicans, one of whom was out on bail for an attempt on the life of another PSNI officer. The ‘New’ IRA have again claimed this as an operation of theirs, releasing several statements to that effect, claiming it as an attack on “crown forces”, using the usual terminology. In the court hearing’s the prosecution said that there was a king standing connection between one of Ivor McLeans sons and one of the New IRA members charged. The MacLeans are charged with procuring the vehicles used in the attack and false number plates. The prosecution also alleged that the MacLeans were motivated to help by a vandetta against DCI Caldwell because of his investigative work into robberies and drug dealing. The New IRA were looking for a spectacular to reinvigorate their organisation after it was brought to its knees by MI5 penetration. They can't be that organised if 4 of them managed to get arrested and charged... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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