Man arrested during investigation into criminality linked to PSNI data breach released on bail

The PSNI said detectives investigating criminality linked to last week’s Freedom of Information (FoI) data breach carried out a search in Lurgan, Co Armagh, on Wednesday (August 16), and made an arrest.

The 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of collection of information likely to be useful to terrorists and questioned by detectives at Musgrave Serious Crime Suite.

The PSNI confirmed he has now been released on bail to allow for further police inquiries.

Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Hill said: “We are working tirelessly to address the risk posed to officers and staff. Today’s search operation, and subsequent arrest, is just one piece of a large-scale operation.

“We will continue in our efforts to disrupt criminal activity associated with this freedom of information data breach and to keep communities, and our officers and staff who serve them, safe.”

The surnames and initials of all current PSNI officers and staff, together with the location and department in which they work, was mistakenly shared online in response to a FoI request.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne said they were now “confident that the information is in the hands of dissident republicans”.

He said they will use the list to “generate fear and uncertainty and intimidate or target officers and staff”.

Speaking alongside Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd at a press conference at PSNI headquarters in Belfast on Monday afternoon (August 14), Mr Byrne said they were working around the clock to assess and mitigate this risk.

Details of a second data breach emerged less than 24 hours after the initial leak when the PSNI revealed that documents, including a spreadsheet containing the names of more than 200 serving officers and staff, were stolen from a private vehicle last month.

Mr Byrne said: “The picture in relation to last week’s data breach continues to evolve at pace.

“We are now confident that the workforce data set is in the hands of dissident republicans.

“It is now a planning assumption that they will use this list to generate fear and uncertainty as well as intimidating or targeting officers and staff.

“I won’t go into detail for operational reasons but we are working round the clock to assess the risk and take measures to mitigate it.

“Contrary to commentary circulating we are not seeing any movement of officers or staff out of the organisation. I’d like to pay tribute to our people who have demonstrated tremendous resilience since news of this breach broke last week.

“Weekend events have shown their determination to stick to our values and continue to serve the public with commitment and professionalism.

“We are being strongly supported by a range of specialists from across the policing system in dealing with this unprecedented incident.

“We have measures in place to reassure and advise our workforce of what this risk means for them.

“We will continue to liaise with the Policing Board, the UK Government and partners as we develop our response to this.

“The safety and welfare of our officers and staff remains my top priority.”

A sensitive document at the centre of the PSNI data breach was posted on a wall facing a Sinn Fein office in West Belfast on Monday. It included information about a “substantial number” of police officers and staff, although their names had been removed.

The party’s policing spokesperson, Gerry Kelly MLA, described the incident, which happened overnight, as “sinister”.

Police Federation for Northern Ireland chair Liam Kelly said: “Since this major data breach, and subsequent breach, the PSNI was operating on a working hypothesis that the information on all police officers and staff would end up in the hands of dissidents and organised criminals.

“The chief constable’s announcement, therefore, comes as no great surprise. However, it makes it all the more imperative for each and every colleague to exercise maximum vigilance. We must do all we can to frustrate and prevent attacks on our colleagues and their families.

“Our men and women are resilient and resourceful. They must call on all their training and professionalism to counter this ugly consequence of a monumental data breach.

“Even though we believed from the outset the data would find its way into the hands of people intent on murdering or maiming our colleagues, it is obviously a deeply worrying development.”