RUC detectives investigating the killing of a Catholic man on the northern outskirts of Belfast yesterday evening believe the murder is related to drugdealing or other criminal activities.
The body was discovered at 4.45 p.m. after a phone-call to police. The man, who was in his 30s, was found with gunshot wounds near a steep embankment by the railway line at Whiteabbey, five miles north of the city centre, near the Rushpark estate.
He had been shot several times.
Police believe the man was killed close to where his body was found. The area is only a few hundred metres from the local RUC station, but the exact scene of the crime may have been hidden from the surveillance camera mounted on a high mast by the station.
Although the surrounding area is loyalist, it is understood the RUC is not treating the killing as sectarian.
Last evening, the area near the busy A2 motorway to Carrickfergus was cordoned off as forensic scientists examined the scene. The murder caused extensive disruption to commuter train traffic.
Officers said they had identified the man, but were waiting to inform relatives before releasing his name. He is believed to have lived in several areas in Northern Ireland.
