Sinn Féin has criticised police in Northern Ireland after a senior republican was arrested during an operation into alleged organised crime.
Brian Arthurs was detained by officers who raided addresses in Co Armagh and in Dungannon, Co Tyrone. No further details were disclosed, but Sinn Féin's spokesman on policing, Alex Maskey, accused the force of mounting a heavy-handed arrest operation.
He said: "This evening six PSNI land rovers, a van and four unmarked cars arrived at the home of Tyrone republican Brian Arthurs.
"The family home was raided and Brian was arrested and forcibly removed from the house. "This is completely unacceptable and is not the behaviour of an acceptable policing service.
"I have this evening contacted the British government to complain about the nature of this arrest operation. "There is currently a very difficult situation in the area caused entirely by the conduct of the PSNI."
PA
