In recent days, a feud between two rival gangs affiliated with the Ulster Defence Association has caused disruption in North Down and Ards, Northern Ireland.
On Wednesday night, a petrol bomb was thrown at an empty home in Donaghadee, and on Glenbrook Road in Newtownards, a brick was thrown through the window of another home. The police have received multiple reports of attacks on homes.
According to MI5-police intelligence, the South East Antrim UDA is one of the largest paramilitary gangs in Northern Ireland, with over 2,000 members. It is notoriously involved in drug distribution, community coercion, and other criminal activities.
According to the PSNI, these incidents are connected to an ongoing feud between two rival drug gangs operating under the UDA banner. Since Wednesday, eight additional inhabited homes have been attacked, although all were occupied.
The UDA was one of the largest paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland, with tens of thousands of members at its height, when it was founded in 1971. During the Troubles, it was responsible for hundreds of sectarian murders under the guise of the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF).
The UFF carried out infamous attacks such as the 1992 shooting deaths of five Catholics in a Belfast betting shop and the 1993 Greysteel massacre. The UDA was ultimately prohibited in August 1992.
The current feud, according to security sources, is associated with drug dealing activities in Bangor, which have been accompanied by threatening graffiti.
The police have stated that they are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry and have maintained a large presence in North Down and Ards to maintain order.
In recent days, a feud between two rival drug gangs affiliated with the Ulster Defense Association has wreaked havoc in North Down and Ards, Northern Ireland. Wednesday night, a petrol bomb was thrown at an empty home in Donaghadee, according to multiple reports received by the police. Bangor walls have been defaced with threatening graffiti, according to security sources who believe the incidents are associated with drug trafficking.
According to MI5-police intelligence, the South East Antrim UDA is one of the largest paramilitary gangs in Northern Ireland, with over 2,000 members. It is notoriously involved in drug distribution, community coercion, and other criminal activities. The UDA was one of the largest paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland, with tens of thousands of members at its height, when it was founded in 1971. During the Troubles, it was responsible for hundreds of sectarian murders under the guise of the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF). The UFF carried out infamous attacks such as the 1992 shooting deaths of five Catholics in a Belfast betting shop and the 1993 Greysteel massacre. The UDA was ultimately prohibited in August 1992.
The police have stated that they are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry and have maintained a large presence in North Down and Ards to maintain order. According to reports, eight additional occupied homes have been attacked since last Wednesday. The PSNI has urged anyone with information regarding the recent incidents to come forward so that those responsible can be brought to justice.
