A mural of Hooded Man Kevin Hannaway was seized by the PSNI from a house in West Belfast on Friday, alongside what the force says was a number of items, including a small quantity of Class A drugs.
The seizure came at a house in the Rodney Drive area of the city in a “proactive” search linked to dissident republican group, the New IRA.
A man was arrested and later charged with possession of a class A controlled drug and offering to supply a class C controlled drug. The man (52) will appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on August 8.
Mr Hannaway died in January after a short illness. He was one of 14 Catholic men who were subjected to state-sanctioned torture when they were interned in 1971.
Hooded man Kevin Hannaway pictured in 2023
A life-long republican, Mr Hannaway was convicted of knowingly rendering assistance to the ‘IRA’, and assisting in interviewing people involved in ‘IRA’-organised activities in 2015.
It’s understood the mural was to be unveiled in Belfast on Sunday.
“Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Serious Crime Branch, supported by district police officers, conducted a proactive search of a property in west Belfast this morning, Friday 11th July,” a PSNI statement said.
“A number of items were seized, including a small quantity of suspected controlled drugs. A man aged 52 was arrested on suspicion of possession of class A controlled drug and being concerned in the supply of a class C controlled drug.
“He was detained at an address in Rodney Drive and remains in custody at this time. The search was part of an investigation into criminality linked to the New IRA.”
A statement released on Friday by hardline republican party Saoradh said the seizure was an example of “hypocrisy” by the PSNI after it refused to assist Belfast City Council with the dismantling of a bonfire in the loyalist Village area of south Belfast.
“While they mobilise to remove a republican mural from a private home, they refuse to act against loyalist mobs erecting racist and sectarian hate displays in places like Moygashel and loyalist parts of Belfast, where bonfires endangering lives and entire communities took place unhindered,” it said.