Troubles victims’ families sue PSNI and MoD over loyalist weapons

In March 1991, Mr Frizzell’s brother, Brian Frizzell, was shot dead along with Eileen Duffy, 19, and 16-year-old Katrina Rennie by the UVF in Craigavon, County Armagh.

Mrs Lundy’s husband, Alan Lundy, was shot dead by the UDA in May 1993 while carrying out work at the west Belfast home of Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs claim police and MI5 knew about loyalist plans to import hundreds of rifles, pistols and grenades via South Africa but did nothing to intercept the shipment.

The UDA, UVF and Ulster Clubs – a network of organisations that operated at the time – were said to have been making efforts to source weapons across Europe, the Middle East and North America.

In early 1988, police seized Czech VZ58-type rifles, Browning 9mm pistols, Soviet anti-personnel grenades, a rocket-propelled launcher, ammunition, magazines and pouches at locations in Belfast and Portadown.

But it is alleged that other imported weapons were stored by County Armagh farmer James Mitchell and moved to safety after an RUC officer warned him about an imminent raid.