Belfast police find substantial quantity of explosives in republican area

Police have discovered what is being described as a substantial quantity of explosives in a republican district of north Belfast this evening.

A 47-year-old has been arrested in connection with the explosives find in flats in the New Lodge area. The discovery was made during searches of Maeve House near North Queen Street today, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.

The PSNI district commander in north and west Belfast chief superintendent Nigel Grimshaw said: “Police believe this to be a significant discovery. It beggars belief that quantities of high explosives could be stored in a block of flats in which hundreds of people are living.

“I welcome the fact that colleagues from serious crime branch have taken this material out of circulation. It has been removed for detailed examination but we believe it to be high explosives.

“District officers will continue to work with colleagues and the community to ensure that everyone is kept safe from the threats posed by those individuals and groups who would seek to inflict death and injury.

“The search operation is continuing. We apologise for any inconvenience or disruption but we need to ensure that everything has been done to keep people safe.”

The suspect under arrest is being questioned in the PSNI station in the nearby Antrim Road.

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