07/07/2016 BBC Newsline

The PSNI has broken up an organised crime gang operating out of a luxury

apartment block in the centre of Belfast.

Today, three of the gang from South East Asia were jailed

for their part in a UK-wide drug smuggling and distribution network.

This is one of the gang entering the apartment building

carrying a holdall with 15 kilograms of cannabis.

He is just one part of what the police call a major network.

They operated out of this apartment building.

The police investigation began in October 2014 when they became

aware of suspect packages being posted to Northern

The inquiry, codenamed Operation Carhold,

involved the PSNI, the South Yorkshire Police,

the Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Agency.

The drugs and subsequent money-laundering involved

When detectives swooped on the apartment in the Oval Tower

they seized ?560,000 worth of herbal cannabis,

smaller quantities of other drugs, cash and equipment used

There were sieges in other parts of Northern Ireland including

Vehicles were also impounded and bank accounts frozen

We started our investigations with the money trail

so we will identify quite quickly that cash deposit have been made

to a number of accounts in Great Britain, one

of whom was a young female student who had received over ?60,000

in a matter of months deposited into her account.

That is always going to focus our interest.

Clearly somebody that's been used to try and stay under the radar

in terms of laundering money from the illegal drugs

Last week two Asian women were given suspended sentences

The police say this multi-agency inquiry has succeeded in taking down

a UK-wide drug smuggling and distribution network.

A veteran republican is to stand trial for alleged involvement

She was kidnapped, killed and buried by the IRA in 1972.

Her remains were only found decades later.

79 year old Ivor Bell of Ramoan Gardens in Belfast

is charged with soliciting the murder of the west

It's a killing that continues to shock.

Wrongly accused of being an informer, Jean McConville

was dragged from her home, shot in the head and secretly buried.

Decades later, the IRA admitted murdering the mother of ten.

In 2003, her remains were found on a beach in County Louth.

Today, Ivor Bell, seen here on the right, was told he'll

The veteran republican faces two charges of soliciting the murder.

During the short hearing, Ivor Bell stood alone in the dock

Asked if he had any reply to the charges, he said no.

Asked if he wanted to call any witnesses at this stage,

Watching on, six of Jean McConville's children.

The judge made reference to the Boston tapes,

recordings of interviews with loyalists and republicans

carried out for an American oral history project at Boston College.

It's alleged that Ivor Bell was one of a number of interviewees,

Some recordings were secured following a transatlantic court

battle and the judge said today they could be admitted as evidence.

The district judge says that following a preliminary inquiry last

week she was satisfied the standard of proof had been met

and there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial.

Ivor Bell was released on continuing bail, the date of his trial is yet

Soldiers, their families and politicians have all been

giving their reaction to the Iraq inquiry but what about

The Chilcot Report found 150,000 civilians were killed

I've been to meet some people now settled in Belfast.

Yossama and his wife are doctors from Baghdad.

Both were studying at university when the war began in 2003.

The couple and their two-year-old son were forced to flee

I asked them how Iraq had changed since the invasion.

The situation became worse than Saddam in 2003

and because of the Americans who decided to begin

They said chemical weapons and nuclear weapons but until now

there is no clue that the Americans and Britain found any

His wife says she can't forget the terror and devastation

The sounds of the bombs was very terrible and all of

We are afraid from everything and we don't know what will happen.

Are you angry about what happened during the war?

Actually, yes, because after the war everything is destroyed in Iraq.

Before that, we are also not living well but we are safe.

So you think the war made the situation in Iraq much worse.

Yes, because every day is 50 people killed because of the bombs

and the terror groups that can easily come up

Fellow Iraqi Rachid has lived here for much longer but he too

feels anger about the consequences of the war.

If you compare it to what's going on today,

There is not a single hospital built.

Definitely under Saddam Hussein life was better for ordinary people.

Today we are losing 100 people every day, car bombs,

killings, definitely we were better off without this war.

A banner glorifying the loyalist killer Billy Wright has been

reported to the PSNI after it appeared on a lamppost close

The police say they're investigating the sign at Eastvale

It shows the late LVF leader and a quotation attributed to him.

The SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone described the banner

A boy who travelled halfway around the world for treatment for epilepsy

1's body has been found in Carrickfergus. It is understood a

crime is not expected. A boy who travelled halfway around

the world for treatment for epilepsy eight years ago is facing

a new health threat. BBC Newsline followed Billy Caldwell

and his mum Charlotte After several years of stability,

his seizures have started again and his family has been told

he will have to wait up to nine months to access specialist care

in the UK. Julian Fowler has been

speaking to them. After Billy Caldwell was born,

doctors at the Royal This month he will celebrate

his 11th birthday. He can now walk, swim and ride

horses and goes to a special school. These are the good times,

but in recent weeks his seizures We're watching them praying

and hoping, it's heartbreaking because I know that one of them can

kill him and it can happen just His condition had been under

control following two years Charlotte says Billy needs a full

review of his condition but he can't get the medical help

he needs at home. We tried accessing centres set up

within England to treat children with epilepsy and there is a six-

to nine-month waiting Charlotte says Billy and other

children like him The children that have the condition

and epilepsy, they're Because of the waiting lists,

there is no access and if they don't die the seizures are actually

regress in them and depleting them and their quality

of life is affected. Charlotte wants the health service

to treat epilepsy with the same urgency as other

life-threatening illnesses. She believes the specialist care

available in America Northern Ireland and Republic

of Ireland football fans were tonight awarded the prestigious

Medal of the City of Paris for their As BBC Newsline's Mark Simpson

reports, they've been hailed The Maher of Paris handed out the

awards, one of the highest honours in France. The Maher 's office gives

the reason that it was for good sportsmanship and for our excellent

behaviour. I think we got at award for being ourselves and just for

being an advance. I think as fans we won the Euros and the team did as

proud as well. Representing the republic 's fans was Jamie Monaghan

from county love. He went all four of their matches and travel more

than 1000 miles. His dad said it was a proud day for the family and for

Ireland. Half of the -- and a half of the Irish supporters are applied

to thank the people of Paris. It is an honour for the country because we

do like a party. The party may now be over but the fans in green still

have something to celebrate. And Mark will present a special BBC

Newsline programme tomorrow night capturing the adventures

of Northern Ireland football Residents of a County Fermanagh

village have expressed anger after five cygnets were knocked

down and killed. A child eyewitness says

she saw a car running down A vet who arrived at the scene

shortly after the incident at Lisnarick near Irvinestown says

he was upset by what he found. The cygnets and their mother,

pictured earlier today, had recently become

a familiar sight. Locals have described the offence

as a heartless act. Football, and Cliftonville

are through to the next round of the Europa League

after a 2-0 win over FC It was disappointing news however

for Linfield and Glenavon Linfield drew with Cork City 1-1

but lost on aggregate 2-1, while Glenavon lost

6-0 to KR Reykjavik. The weather forecast

now with Geoff Maskell. It's been a nice day. Temperatures

of 20 degrees. Overnight, rain. Cloud cover. It'll help keep mild.

Double figures. Friday, not too bad. Do I

try and bright, rain over England. Humid conditions. Behind it, a nice

day across much of the UK and Ireland. Temperatures will be up to

19 or 20 degrees. The odd shower. For most, things will be dry. In the

evening, rain. Saturday will be unsettled. Low pressure heading in

our direction. Looking as if it will be dry and then showers arriving.

The outlook, rain, heavy at times, strong breeze, low-pressure, warm

moist air from the self West. Not until late on Sunday and into Monday

that the breeze will come around. We will have fresher weather. Until

then, warm and humid. Dip into a summer of

amazing live music,