The PSNI has paid out £7,000 for unlawful arrest to three people detained in connection with the discovery of an arms cache in west Belfast six years ago.
The two men and a woman received the settlement after a major haul, including two AK47 assault rifles, were discovered at Rodney Drive in west Belfast after a blaze in a boiler house in November 2018.
Two sawn-off shot guns, a high-powered rifle with a silencer fitted, three pipe bombs and more than 100 assorted rounds of ammunition were being stored in the boiler house at the rear of a property when the fire broke out.
At the time the PSNI linked the weapons to the New IRA and two attacks on the police in Belfast in November 2015 and January 2017.
The arms haul was discovered after the Fire Service attended the scene.
While at the time it was speculated the blaze may have been accidental, an expert report has found it could have been deliberate.
A report produced by forensic experts found that “no obvious electrical fault was noted to any of the wiring in the boiler house”.
The report also states that “paraffin/28 second heating oil was detected in the debris within the boiler house”
“This would be consistent with the broken fuel line,” it said.
“However, it was not determined if the damaged fuel line was caused before the fire or during the fire.”
The report concludes that “the most likely causes of the fire inside the boiler house would be deliberate or accidental ignition of fuel or combustible materials”.
Three people were arrested at a different location days later.
It is understood one of three people has now received a payout of £3,000, another pocketed £2,500, while a third, a woman, settled for £1,500.
Danielle Cromie, of Phoenix Law said, said “we welcome the decision of the PSNI to act sensibly in these matters and to finally settle these cases for our clients.
“It was clear from the moment of arrest that there was no evidence to connect our clients to this incident.
“Our clients welcome the settlements as conclusive proof and vindication that they had no role in this incident and look forward to moving on from this incident.”
A spokesman for the PSNI said: “We can confirm that civil actions have been settled by the Police Service of Northern Ireland without acceptance of liability.
“We will not publicly discuss or comment on the specifics of individual cases.”
