On Thursday, the court heard that Bates’ gun had been aimed at his head and that he had been ordered to deliver drugs in exchange for 30,000 to East Belfast UVF.
The 29-year-old said he was threatened with up to 20 shipments to pay for what the group had.
Details emerged when he appeared in Belfast Magistrates’ Court, charged with possession of cannabis for supply and possession of criminal property.
The suspect, who has not been identified, was arrested on Wednesday in a PSNI Paramilitary Crime Task Force operation targeting drug-related offenses in East Belfast UVF.
A cannabis plant worth £10,000 was confiscated during the search.
During an interview with the police, the accused claimed that he collected 30,000,000 against a drug organization.
“He said he has since been threatened with a gun and should have taken and delivered what he believed to be the drug over the past 18 months,” the investigator told the court.
“He admitted he could have detained 20 in the last 18 months,” he said.
The man claimed that his debt was going down by 250 cents at a time, but he was afraid that he would be blamed and accused of losing confiscated cannabis.
Given his current debt level of 17,000, the investigator argued that he could be humiliated again or escape if released on bail.
The court heard that the defendant spoke of moving to Canada due to concerns for his safety.
His attorney, Paul McCrodin, said he acted involuntarily because of the danger to his life.
“This guy is too adventurous for UVF in East Belfast and these criminals used him,” said the lawyer.
“He was mistreated this whole time.”
After bail was granted, Deputy District Judge Liam McStee ordered the defendant to live at an anonymous, police-approved address.
Despite the opposition of the press, he felt that the information on the ban on publishing the name of the accused was “necessary and proportionate”.
“I think there is a clear and serious threat to life, backed up by police concerns and, in fact, the judicial record of paramilitary patterns in relation to drug operations,” Maxty said.
“By revealing his identity and making his identity public, I believe there is a significant risk in returning the information to East Belfast UVF.”
Source: Belfastlive
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