Officers from the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) have acknowledged the sentence handed down to Geoffrey Dennis Heaney at Belfast Crown Court today, Friday 18th November.

The 50-year-old was handed a two year prison sentence suspended for two years for possession of a controlled drug of Class B with intent to supply and a two year concurrent prison sentence suspended for two years for possessing criminal property.

A number of searches were carried out in Ballyclare in February 2021, as part of an investigation into suspected criminality linked to the South East Antrim UDA.

Detective Sergeant Pyper said: “Geoffrey Heaney was arrested in February of last year. This followed the search of a property in which we discovered a quantity of herbal cannabis and a quantity of cash.

“Paramilitary organisations control communities through a regime of fear and violence, and have no place whatsoever in today’s society.

“This case demonstrates our ongoing commitment, and that of our partners, to disrupting organised criminal activity so that local people can get on with peaceful lives.

“I’m keen to thank the community for their continued support and would encourage anyone with information, or concerns, to contact us on 101.”