Police arrest loyalist criminals over DCI Caldwell murder bid

LOYALIST criminals who have links to the New IRA are among who were arrested over the murder bid on a senior PSNI detective.

The detail was revealed at meeting of the NI Policing Board today, Thursday, March 2.

New IRA gunmen fired up to ten shots at Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh at around 8 pm on Wedlast week and is still critically ill but stable and under sedation in Derry’s Alnagelvin Hospital.

Four of those held for questioning in recent days are believed to have been from a loyalist background.

But police still believe the shooting was a terrorist attack carried out and claimed by the New IRA.

Assistant Chief Constable for Crime Operations Department Mark McEwan said there had been some speculation about the motivation of the shooting because of the background of some of those who had been arrested.

“The individuals being speculated about are involved in criminality and have quite strong and long associations with dissident republicans, namely the New IRA,” he said.

“We are clear that this is still being assessed as an attack carried out by the New IRA and that’s where the primary focus of the investigation is at this point.”

ACC McEwan’s remarks came after Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly asked about the background of those who had been questioned by police at Musgrave Serious Crime Suite in Belfast.

Mr Kelly went on to ask if there was believed to be a “loyalist connection” in the investigation.

ACC McEwan said people “should not get confused” with titles such as loyalism.

“These are people who are involved in criminality. They have strong links to members of the New IRA – those are long-standing links,” he said.

“They have been arrested because we have suspected them of being involved in this.

“We still assess that this has been an attack carried out by the New IRA, who have very explicitly stated that they wish to carry out attacks on police officers.

“John has been the target on this occasion.”

The New IRA claimed responsibility for the murder bid by sticking a type statement onto a shop wall in Derry’s Creggan estate on Monday of this week.

Independent charity Crimestoppers has offered a £20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful conviction of those involved in the murder bid.

DCI Caldwell has been a police officer for 26 years, with the majority of his service in CID and the PSNI’s Major Investigation Team.

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