TheJournal.ie uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Click here to find out more »
Dublin: 13 °C Wednesday 19 June, 2013

PSNI arrest 3 men, search Derry mayor’s home, during RAAD operation

Police investigating the vigilante operation Republican Action Against Drugs came under attack from youths during part of the operation.

Image: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

THREE MEN WERE arrested during a police operation related to the vigilante group Republican Action Against Drugs.

One of the men has since been released.

The arrests took place in the Derry area, and eight weapons were uncovered during searches.

Police came under attack from youths at several of the locations during last night’s operation.

According to Press Association, the mayor of Derry, Sinn Fein’s Kevin Campbell, had his home searched as part of the operation. A laptop, camera and mobile phones were all taken during the raid.

Campbell has said he wants answers and an explanation about why this happened.

Andrew Allen was the first person killed by Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD), when he was shot in Buncrana, Co Donegal on 9 February this year.

A reported 200 men have been forced out of Derry due to anti-drug vigilantism, the Guardian reported earlier this year.

Column: Parents bringing their children to be kneecapped, Yes, this is Ireland>

  • Share on Facebook
  • Email this article
  •  

Read next:

Comments (24 Comments)

  • Nail your colours to the mast Chuck but put the fecking gun down first. Are you Fine Gael/IRA, Fianna Fáil/IRA or Labour/ICA?

    Reply
  • Chuck – I think it enough to state that there is no foundation to his opinion without making assumptions that anyone who is from any Irish speaking area of Ireland being a “Shinner”.

    Reply
  • Fagan's 14/07/12 #

    Chuck. Based on that “logic”, you’ll have to hold a demonstration outside Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, the Labour TD and according to your way of thinking the head dissident Republican in Dublin.

    You sir are a pleasure to have in politics, everyside can point at you and say what a knob head, and feel that they have common ground instantly.

    Reply
  • @ Aoife Barry “Andrew Allen was the first person executed by Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD), when he was shot in Buncrana, Co Donegal on 9 February this year.”

    Murdered not “executed”.

    Reply
  • There should be NO debate here at all!
    The topic/news head says it all.
    You’re either in favour for, or against?

    Personally, I’m against any form of Intimidation/bullying.
    These gombeens don’t have cause anymore, and are nothing short of murderous cowards!

    End!

    Reply
  • Chuck – Am I for real? Yes – considering I seem to be the only person speaking on a factual basis on here. Where exactly do you find your information? Every single Sinn Fein activist I know is anti-drugs. Perhaps if you got to know people within the party, you’d see that too. There are no drug-dealing within the ranks of Sinn Féin. It’s very easy for you to make absurd claims on the internet where you don’t have to be held accountable for your comments. Grow up for christ’s sake, and stop repeating regurgitated nonsense that has never stood any test of veracity.

    And as for my avitar [sic] – I was involved in the Irish language long before I ever knew what politics was. Not all Irish language speakers are ‘Shinners’, and not all ‘Shinners’ are Irish language speakers. Leave the ad hominem bollocks at the bar-stool.

    Reply
  • Some media outlets can get enough Republican bashing in but i think people are growing tired of branding one side and letting the others off scott free.To be a journalist or reporter you have to be a single minded Republcan basher no matter what..There’s 13yr old children been shot a in Spain fighting also for their rights which look like has been robbed from them by yet another establishment and not one word about it in the Irish mediacircles ..Any one with a nose for a story would be all over it.

    Reply
    • How is this republican bashing? The home of the mayor of Derry has his house searched by the police and you don’t think that’s news worthy? Republican bashing is more like the IRA giving out beatings because a catholic drug dealer hasn’t paid his protection money.

      Reply
  • If they are then you need to go to the Guards, if u won’t do that, then u need to go to Brian Hayes, fanatical antic Republican in FG and give him information that he can release under Dáil priviledge.

    Isn’t it strange, that for all the bitterness and hatred that the Gardaí and the RUC have to shinners and provo’s that they have never caught one of them with drugs, even though it would be international headline news and destroy the Republican movement and SF as a political party. They have according to your logic, no trouble in killing IRA and shinners, or following them 24/7, bugging their houses, cars, phones etc etc but for some reason they held off on destroying them in the eyes of the communities that the received support and shelter in .
    Does that really make sense, fine I get it, u hate them, but does what you imagine to be true make any sense. If u wanted to deal drugs, you’d hardly join an Org. that was at conflict and the no. 1 target for the Gardaí and one of the most powerful armies and intelligence services in the world

    Reply
  • Beyond the pale by the PSNI to harass the Mayor of the city. Zero justification for it.

    Reply
    • Oh really, and u know this how?? I’m sure they have probable cause if they got a search warrant. It’s long been known that the anti-drug dealing stance of the IRA is their way of going into areas and clearing the drug dealers out only to start their own operation. They may have stopped terrorism in some of its forms but there’s no way they’re going to give up the drugs cash cow

      Reply
    • and yet have we ever heard of a serving SF politician or active IRA man being arrested for drugs. These are people that thought nothing of starving themselves to death, for what they believed in, or going to jail for 20 years, and when coming out, straight back in to the IRA, caught a few months later and back in for another 20.

      People that deal drugs, can be blackmailed, people that deal drugs inform, people that deal drugs aren’t going to be let operate in an Org. that had the Gardaí, Mi5 and 35000 British soldiers and 27000 RUC men looking out for them.

      Wasn’t it Ronnie Flanagan, the head of the RUC, that said the Provisionals were not involved in drugs, the loyalists certainly, the INLA as well.

      Reply
    • Ross – What a bunch of misinformed bollocks. Start reading some balanced journalism in the future, to avoid coming to such asinine conclusions. He is the mayor of the city, and has nothing to do with RAAD. Anyone in the community could tell you that.

      I love how you start off with “And u [sic] know this how?”, while going on to make a heaps of absurd, unsubstantiated claims afterwards. Listen to your own advice. I know he has no involvement, because I have my ear to the ground more than you. (Obviously).

      There are no members of Sinn Féin involved in drug-dealing. Now if you wish to provide evidence that any of it’s members are involved, post said evidence. The IRA no longer exists, and even when it did exist – it had no involvement with drugs. I challenge you to prove me wrong.

      Reply
    • Good man Fagan’s. They might have murdered people but they never sold drugs. What great men.

      Reply
    • I replies yesterday but obviously it’s been censored as per usual by the journal. Anyway I’m not going to write it all again only to have it censored again. Please don’t tell me to read balanced journalism when you clearly get your views from an poblacht. Every news company in the country will tell you the IRA are drug dealers. They are also child murderers, don’t forget that.

      Reply
    • Ross you are talking absolute crap.

      Unless if course you know better than the Gardaí???

      According to Detective Chief Superintendant Cormac Gordon of the Garda National Drugs Unit speaking on RTÉ’s “This Week Programme” in August 2005: “There is no evidence or inteliigence to suggest the IRA are or were ever involved in drug dealing.”

      Reply
  • Long spells in prison, out for a few months and back in for more. That’s not heroic or patriotic. That’s just dumb. What about the wives, mothers, sons daughters and fathers of your heroes? Ask them how it feels to see their family members imprisoned, & for what? Your views are so skewed it beggars belief. Rose tinted goggles, take them off and come live in the real world

    Reply
  • They’re never very far from controversy are they. Thugs in suits. The mask continues to slip…

    Reply
  • mcbab 14/07/12 #

    Trying to divert attention again fagan? Will you ever get tired of that old trick.

    Reply

Add New Comment