Dissident republican murder victim James McConnell

DETECTIVES investigating the dissident republican slaying of a convicted drug dealer four years ago have released a man arrested on Wednesday morning. man.

The 23-year-old suspect was detained in Limavady, Co Londonderry on Wednesday morning during a planned operation.

He was taken to the Serious Crime Suite in Antrim for questioning about the cold-blooded execution of Jim McConnell.

The suspect was released on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr McConnell, 38, who served a prison sentence for drug offences, was gunned down at his home in Woodland Avenue Prehen, Londonderry on February 11, 2009.

Two other men who were in the house at the time escaped unhurt.

Police believe the murder was carried out by dissident republican group Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD).

It was a self-styled vigilante group made up of former members of the Provisional IRA who vowed to clean up the city of drug dealers.

RAAD last year joined forces with the Real IRA to form a group styling itself as the ‘New IRA’.

Yesterday’s arrest is the second by murdersquad detectives within a few weeks.

Last month, a 48-year-old man was detained in Dungiven, Co Londonderry for questioning about the murder under the Terrorism Act.

He was also questioned about a shooting incident in Feeny in 2004 when a shotgun was fired at a house.

The arrested man was later released on bail pending the outcome of forensic tests on a number of items seized during two separate searches conducted in the Dungiven area.