East Belfast UVF: Three men charged after drugs bust

Three men have been charged with drug offences after cannabis worth £150,000 was seized during searches in east Belfast and Newtownards in County Down.

The men, aged 44, 48 and 71, are in custody and are due to appear in court in Belfast next month.

The searches were part of an inquiry into criminality linked to the east Belfast Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

Last week, police found a cannabis factory in Carrickfergus, County Antrim.

'Disrupt the criminality'

A large amount of cash, two vehicles and a suspected class A drug were also seized in the searches on Thursday.

The 71-year-old man has also been charged with possessing criminal property.

Det Ch Insp Cummings said the Paramilitary Crime Task Force, which carried out the searches, was disrupting criminality.

He added that the seizure of cannabis was evidence of police "listening to local communities" and "acting on what they tell us".