In a November 4 statement, police linked their investigation to extreme rightwing terrorism after seizing 17 improvised explosive devices in Belfast. A man faces weapons and explosives charges.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on 4 November that its investigation into explosives found in Belfast was linked to extreme rightwing terrorism. The statement followed searches on 30–31 October at properties on Shankill Road and Edwina Street, where police seized 17 improvised explosive devices, 2 detonators and 5 stun guns.
Police said there was nothing further to add at the time. Wesley Thomas Fletcher, a man charged in connection with the seizures, has not been accused of paramilitary links, The Guardian said. The police assessment concerns the investigation; the charges against Fletcher concern explosives and weapons.
Residents were evacuated from their homes as a precaution during the security operation, The Irish News said. Police arrested one man, and detectives from the police terrorism investigation unit charged Fletcher.
Fletcher, 35, of Leopold Street, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on 2 November. He faces two counts of possessing explosives in suspicious circumstances and one count of possessing prohibited weapons: Tasers allegedly held without the Secretary of State’s authority. A detective told the court he could connect Fletcher to the charges but gave no further details of the investigation.
Fletcher was remanded in custody, meaning he remained detained pending further proceedings. His defense barrister, Peter Sands, did not seek bail and told the court there was no suitable address to offer.
The discovery followed racist violence in Belfast. In a July 24 account, Belfast resident and Amnesty International UK member Emily Humphreys described violence beginning on 10 June in which homes and cars were set on fire and residents fled.
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International UK’s head of nations and regions, called the discovery shocking but not unsurprising. He said escalating racist violence had left children frightened to go to school and families afraid to leave their homes.
Fletcher’s next hearing is scheduled for 30 November.
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