A 45-year-old man has been sentenced at Belfast Crown Court for a drugs-related offence as a result of an investigation into drugs supply linked to the East Belfast UVF.

John McIver was convicted of possession of a Class B controlled drug with intent to supply on Wednesday afternoon, 4th October.

Commenting, Detective Sergeant Marks from the Police Service's Organised Crime Branch said: “On Thursday, 15th September 2022 police stopped a suspicious vehicle in the Rosneath Gardens area of Dundonald. Mr McIver was the driver and only occupant of the car.

“The vehicle was searched and a holdall was located in the boot which contained suspected herbal cannabis with a street value of approximately £30,000.

“Mr McIver had entered a previous guilty plea to the offence on Friday, 30th June and was handed down an 18-month sentence today in court.

“He has been ordered to serve half of his sentence in custody and the remaining nine months on licence.

“I hope that this investigation and the fact that Mr McIver has been brought before the court offers reassurance that we, along with partner organisations, remain committed to disrupting the activities of those involved with illegal drugs.

“Those who deal in drugs remain a priority for the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) and we will continue to robustly and proactively pursue those who are intent on damaging our communities by supplying illegal drugs.

“I would encourage anyone with information that could assist in our efforts to contact us on the non-emergency number 101, or submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.   You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/”