A man just got charged with explosives offences after a Belfast terror raid
31 October 2026 · 31 October 2026Share
Junction of Shankill Road with Lawnbrook Avenue, Belfast, Northern Ireland.Simon Burchell · CC BY-SA 4.0
A 35-year-old man is due in court tomorrow.
He's charged with explosives offences after a terror investigation in north Belfast.
So how did we get here?
Two days ago, police searched homes in the Shankill Road and Edwina Street areas of north Belfast.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland's Terrorism Investigation Unit arrested a 35-year-old man there. The arrest was made under the Terrorism Act.
Ammunition Technical Officers went to the Edwina Street scene that same day. They're trained in bomb disposal.
Several streets were cordoned off. Motorists were told to stay away from the area.
Then, a day ago, police charged that same man.
Here's what he's charged with. Two counts of possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances. And one count of possessing a prohibited weapon involving the discharge of electricity or noxious gas.
The charges were laid under the Explosives Act and the Firearms Order.
Police say officers found a number of suspicious devices during the searches, along with other items. All of it has been seized for forensic examination.
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Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel-2 data showing Belfast and Lough Neagh.Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA · CC BY-SA 3.0 igo
Detective Chief Inspector McCallum, of the PSNI's Terrorism Investigation Unit, confirmed the charges. Police have also appealed for information from the public.
Now, the residents who were evacuated during the operation have been allowed home. All the cordons in the area have been lifted.
And as is usual procedure, the Public Prosecution Service will review every charge.
So where does that leave things?
The man has not entered a plea. Nothing has been proven in court. He is due before Belfast Magistrates' Court tomorrow.
And here's what we still don't know. What the suspicious devices actually were. Whether any paramilitary group is linked to this. And whether police are looking for anyone else.
The man's name has not been released by police.
Now, the Shankill Road carries a long history from Northern Ireland's Troubles. So any operation there by the PSNI's Terrorism Investigation Unit draws close attention.
But police have given no detail yet beyond this one arrest and this one charge.
No response has come from the man or any legal representative at this stage.
So what happens next? That's simple. Belfast Magistrates' Court, tomorrow.
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