Men face charges after police raid

Security operation took place on Saturday

Eight men have appeared in court in Belfast charged with belonging to the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force.

The men, who also faced charges of possessing firearms and paramilitary uniforms, were all remanded in custody until 17 February.

The charges followed a police operation in Monkstown, County Antrim on Saturday. The men appeared in the dock at Belfast Magistrates' Court in pairs accompanied by three armed police officers.

They each face the same two charges. possession of deactivated firearms, a replica firearm, component parts for a firearm, magazines and paramilitary uniforms; and a second charge of belonging to a proscribed organisation, namely the UVF.

The accused were: John Roulston, 28, unemployed of Alexander Crescent, Armagh; Richard Morrow, 24, unemployed of Linn Road, Larne, County Antrim; Joseph Crawford, 31, unemployed of Fairway, Larne; Philip Clarke, 21, unemployed of Cairngorm Drive, Larne; Ian Davidson, 24, a sheet metal worker of Waterfall Road, Larne; Dale Magill, 21, unemployed of Inverview Drive, Larne and Robert Anderson, 22, unemployed of Drumahoe Gardens, Larne and Colin Greer, 32, unemployed of Ards Park, Monkstown.

The court heard that when charged on Sunday night, the men either made no reply or denied the charges.

A detective sergeant told the court that in relation to the charge of membership of the UVF the police were relying on intelligence information against all the accused.

They also said they believed evidence recovered from the scene would show that the accused were in the UVF.