Two Arrested for Terrorism Act Following PSNI Data Breach

Two men have been taken into custody by the police under the Terrorism Act, in connection with the investigation of a data breach involving the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland).

The suspects, aged 21 and 22, were apprehended during a search operation in the Portadown area, as confirmed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland via a tweet.

The official tweet stated, "The arrests are part of our investigation into criminality linked to the freedom of information data breach."

Detectives transported the individuals to the Musgrave Serious Crime Suite in Belfast for further questioning.

The data breach occurred when information about PSNI employees was mistakenly disclosed in response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request. The request sought details about staff ranks and grades.

However, the FoI response went beyond this request. It included a spreadsheet revealing surnames, initials, and other data for more than 10,000 individuals.

Detective Chief Inspector Avine Kelly emphasized, "We are actively working to identify those responsible for the data breach that occurred on August 8. Our aim is to address any criminal activity firmly to ensure the safety of communities, as well as our officers and staff who serve them."

Notably, Sky's senior Ireland correspondent, David Blevins, clarified that these arrests are "not directly related to the data breach itself." He added that the Northern Ireland Policing Board has commissioned an independent review to investigate how the names of thousands of officers and staff were mistakenly disclosed. Additionally, detectives have made similar arrests over the past three weeks to probe the distribution of the information.

Stay tuned for more updates on this ongoing investigation.