Caught on camera: Moment Winkie Irvine was arrested after weapons found in his car boot

Footage recorded by officers’ bodyworn cameras on the day of Irvine’s arrest in June 2022, also shows his co-accused, Robin Workman, being pulled over in his red work van and being arrested and handcuffed.

The two were jailed in May.

Irvine was given a two and a half year sentence after he admitted a range of firearms offences.

The 49-year-old, of Ballysillan Road in north Belfast, will spend half of his sentence in custody and half on licence.

Workman (54), of Shore Road, Larne, was also sentenced to five years – half to be served on licence.

Both men had pleaded guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition in suspicious circumstances last December.

They also admitted two counts of possessing a handgun without a certificate, possessing a prohibited weapon and possessing a firearm without a certificate.

Edited extracts of silent video recording the arrests of Irvine and Workman have now been released by the PSNI.

Police said the audio on the footage had been removed to prevent the identification of any police officers.

While undercover surveillance officers were involved in the operation, the footage shows both men were later stopped by uniformed officers who searched their vehicles before arresting them both.

UVF commander Irvine can be seen sitting on a garden wall while his car is searched in the Disraeli Street area of north Belfast on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Prior to this he had been observed meeting a man, later identified as Workman, in the Glencairn area, where, Workman placed a bag in the boot of Irvine’s car.

A short transcript was provided by police, who originally challenged a request by the BBC for the release of the footage.

It has one police officer one asking: “What bag was it, sorry mate?”

Irvine replies: “It's that one.”

Officer one replies “This?” in relation to the Sainsbury’s bag for life which can be seen in the now-open boot of the car.

Police officer two then asks his colleague: “You gloves on?”

Officer one replies: “No mate”.

Officer two then asks Irvine: “The only bag that you can’t account for is this Sainsbury's one?”

Irvine replies: “Yes.”

Officer two says: “You can account for everything else?”

Irvine, speaking in one word answers, again says: “Yes.”

Officer two then appears to be speaking on a radio to superiors and says: “Yeah, that's a firearm in the back of the vehicle here in the boot. I've just opened up the bag.

“Do you want me to go further? I can see you have a long (a long barrelled firearm) and there's also a short (handgun) and a number of magazines and potential ammunition.

“Yeah, inside there's a Sainsbury’s bag inside that you have a duffle bag. You've got one long, you've got a short, you've magazines and looks like a quantity of ammunition.

“Do you want me to search it further or hold it in place boss?”

The Public Prosecution Service is currently appealing Irvine’s sentence, after determining it was "unduly lenient".

A judge reduced the minimum jail term after a series of references from high-profile members of civic society that praised the loyalist for his “exceptional” peace building work.

The PSNI, unlike most other UK forces, does not currently release body-worn camera footage.

However, it agreed to do so after the BBC made a request to Belfast Crown Court during the making of a Spotlight documentary, Caught: Guns In The Boot, which investigated Irvine's arrest and its implications.