3 December 1998 Edition

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Gunshots in Rathenraw

A member of the Rathenraw Action Group (RAG) in Antrim was targeted by associates of a known drug dealer from the estate in the early hours of Saturday morning when gunshots were fired through a bedroom window.

Residents group members said that the attack was carried out ``in retaliation for our successful campaign to end the intimidation and violence dealers have brought to the area'', and it ``follows a catalogue of attempts by local drug dealers to undermine the residents' campaign''.

An RAG spokesperson said that the drug dealer had been seen pointing out the homes of Action Group members to an occupant of the car used in the shooting incident.

The RUC appeared on the scene only after angry residents had gathered outside the home of this drug dealer after the incident.

Since the incident RAG members have, through talks with the family of the drug dealers, persuaded the dealers to leave the estate. But RAG members are still adamant that the whole family leave the estate, claiming they will only act as a focus for continued attempts to intimidate locals.

As a marker to their progress, RAG point to an increasingly positive response from the Housing Executive to their demands for direct contact and input into the needs of the community and rehousing.

RAG committee member Joe McCavanagh said, ``there's a lot of anger but incidents like this only steel our resolve.''

Sinn Fein representative Martin Meehan, who visited Rathenraw on Saturday to support the family, said, ``this community is starting to organise to combat this serious social problem. They need support but statutory agencies also need to ensure that investment and policies are targeted at regenerating the area. Since Drumcree when we organised a defence committee people have really stuck together.''

``People are committed to purely peaceful methods to deal with this problem,'' Joe McCavanagh said. He also criticised the RUC over two incidents on Monday night when the homes of two single mothers were attacked with petrol bombs on the nearby Parkhall estate.

``There was a considerable RUC presence protecting the home of the drug dealer involved in Saturday's shooting incident,'' he said.

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