A person has been arrested on suspicion of amassing data “likely to be useful for terrorists” following the police information breach in Northern Ireland.
The drive declared a vital incident final week after information on all 10,000 officers and workers was unintentionally disclosed on-line.
Detectives carried out a search in Lurgan, County Armagh, on Wednesday and arrested a 39-year-old man.
Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Hill mentioned the drive was “working tirelessly to address the risk posed to officers and staff” and the arrest was “one piece of a large-scale operation”.
“We will continue in our efforts to disrupt criminal activity associated with this Freedom of Information (FOI) data breach and to keep communities, and our officers and staff who serve them, safe,” he mentioned.
Sky’s senior Ireland correspondent, David Blevins, mentioned police weren’t investigating the breach itself, however that the arrest got here after the leaked data had been extensively circulated on-line.
The leaked names appeared on-line for 2 hours after the drive responded to an FOI request from a web site that wished to know what number of officers have been serving in every rank.
However, it seems somebody inadvertently connected a spreadsheet to the reply that additionally included their names.
The information is believed to now be in possession of dissident republicans.
A redacted model of the doc was earlier this week posted on a wall going through a Sinn Fein workplace in Belfast in a “sinister” try to intimidate considered one of its politicians.
“There are serious concerns among police officers and staff – the police federation here is calling for maximum vigilance,” mentioned Blevins.
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The terrorist menace in Northern Ireland is now deemed to be “severe”.
The FOI information leak was adopted by disclosure of a second breach in July referring to stolen paperwork and a laptop computer.
Names of round 200 serving officers and workers are believed to have been on a spreadsheet on the laptop computer, which was taken from a personal car in Newtownabbey, close to Belfast.
A police challenge laptop computer and radio are additionally thought to have been stolen.
Head of the Catholic Church Archbishop Eamon Martin met PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne immediately and mentioned he has frolicked with Catholic officers and their households because the information breach.
“I am in no doubt but that the future of peace and prosperity across the island of Ireland will depend upon respect and support for policing,” he mentioned.
“Today I assured the Chief Constable that every one members of the PSNI, and their households, are in my prayers at the moment.
Source: information.sky.com”