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UVF chief Paul Gray is in trouble with HQ
A gun-toting gun runner could trigger a bloody feud in the UVF after he told his bosses that one of their godfathers is keeping cash destined for the organisation
Roly poly UVF chief Paul Gray is facing expulsion over a £100k cash scam.
The Sunday World can reveal that the north Antrim terror boss is in the dock amid allegations that he has withheld guns and cash which he should have handed over to UVF headquarters on the Shankill Road.
The veteran UVF leader has been operating a cash and gun scam in which householders known to have cash in the homes are being targeted.
People known to have gun licences including police officers have also been the target of a highly skilled gang ‘employed’ by Gray.
We can also reveal that the gang is headed up by a 25-year-old house breaker who has boasted he was stolen up to £200k from houses across the north Antrim and Ballymena area.
The homes of people who own and run Chinese takeaways are a favourite target as they often take the night’s takings with them.
On one occasion a mind boggling £50,000 was stolen in a single house raid.
The gang leader can command a 10 per cent slice of the haul while the rest is handed to Gray, who in turn is supposed to hand it over to UVF headquarters.
Alarm bells started to ring when the flow of cash from Gray’s outfit began to dry up.
Now Gray and his housebreaker pal have fallen out and are embroiled in a bitter feud.
Police raided the robber’s house after an anonymous tip that he had stashed a stolen gun at his house; the tip off is believed to have come from Gray.
“He (Gray) tried to get the housebreaker out of the way, he knows too much and has enough info to sink Gray on the Shankill,” a loyalist source told the Sunday World.
Our exclusive pictures show the robber posing with a Thompson machine gun.
The housebreaker is also understood to be under investigation but it is unlikely that any action will be taken against him.
His UVF membership has already been transferred to the Shankill and it is believed he has been given assurances by terrorist boss John ‘Bunter’ Graham that he is in the clear. In return he will drop the hammer on Gray.
“He knows everything about Gray’s operation, he stole all the money and as far as he was concerned Gray was paying into the Shankill. He knows exactly how much Gray has kept for himself.”
The Sunday World is aware of the man’s identity, but his name cannot be revealed for legal reasons.
The expert housebreaker has always stayed one step ahead of the law, escaping conviction despite a catalogue of crimes.
Sources have told us he also stole guns to order and on one occasion personally delivered a dozen handguns and rifles to the UVF on the Shankill.
PSNI-issue Glock pistols are among the array of guns stolen by the 25-year-old and his gang.
“There are rich pickings in Ballymena,” said our source. “there are lots of affluent business owners and cops living in and around the town.”
Gray is understood to be under severe financial pressure. He is known to have significant gambling habit and the Coach pub he owns has run into difficulties.
He even instructed his housebreaker to steal kegs of beer from rival bars because he couldn’t afford to pay for a fresh order.
Estimates that he has pocketed more than £100k of the UVF’s money are said to be conservative with loyalist sources in the areas putting the figure at closer to £250,000.
“He has gambled most of it away; with the money he puts on horses it wouldn’t take long to get through that sort of money.”
It’s not the first time Gray has run into trouble with the UVF leadership. Five years ago he was stood down after it emerged he was using UVF money to buy a bar and that he was pocketing money extorted from businesses in the town.
He is even alleged to have spent £3,000 in stolen money to pay for a boob job for his then girlfriend Karen.
Men are said to be leaving the north Antrim UVF in their droves as members grow increasingly disillusioned with Gray’s leadership. Most have transferred to the Shankill.
“The result is that the Shankill leadership has men on the streets of Ballymena; everything he does is being reported back. He is a man under pressure.”
Bunter is so disillusioned with Gray that he is considering shutting down the entire UVF operation in Ballymena and setting up a Red Hand Commando brigade.
He has already earmarked the housebreaker to head up the RHC operation leaving Gray completely isolated.