Men charged over organised crime

The pair, aged 31 and 32, are accused of blackmail and belonging to or professing to belong to a proscribed organisation.They are expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Following the charges, police said they have conducted 120 searches, arrested 38 people and charged four as part of their operation against organised crime in south and east Belfast.Twenty individuals have also been reported to the Public Prosecution Service.Officers have seized over £50,000 and counterfeit goods with an estimated street value of £23,000.Since the start of April 2014, there have been 231 drug seizures, 188 people have been arrested in relation to drug offences and 87 of these individuals have been charged.