Chief Constable George Hamilton at west Belfast festival. Keeping a close eye on him is IRA Chief of Staff Martin ‘Duckser’ Lynch and his second in command Bobby Storey

SENIOR Provisional IRA terrorist ‘Big’ Bobby Storey has been arrested over the murder of one time Provo pal Kevin McGuigan.

Storey was one of three men – aged 59, 45 and 58 – arrested by police in north and west Belfast this morning, Wednesday, September 9, under section 41 of the Terrorism Act.

Also detained were IRA Army Council member Brian ‘The Gilly’ Gillen and Eddie ‘Bubbles’ Copeland.

Last month, Copeland’s close pal and Shankill bomber Sean Kelly was arrested but later released.

Storey, Gillen and Copeland have been taken to the serious crime suite at Antrim police station for questioning.

‘Big’ Bobby is head of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland and is also suspected of running its ‘black arts’ department against political opponents and leaking it to the media.

Kevin McGuigan, 53, was shot dead at his home in Comber Court in the Short Strand area of east Belfast in August.

Last month Storey was pictured at the west Belfast festival behind Chief Constable George Hamilton at a public debate on legacy issues.

Sitting beside Storey was the current IRA chief of staff Martin ‘Duckser’ Lynch.

Storey is the former head of IRA intelligence and GHQ department

Mr Storey, who is a former IRA prisoner, is the northern chairman of Sinn Féin.

It is believed Storey now holds a more senior role in PIRA, acting as adjutant to ‘Duckser’ Lynch.

The PSNI has said that some Provisional IRA members were involved in Mr McGuigan Sr’s murder.

The Chief Constable added that it had no evidence that the killing was sanctioned by the organisation, which political opponents disbelieve.

They are convinced that PIRA organised and carried out the murder to revenge the killing in May of its former ‘OC’ of Belfast Jock Davison.

A total of sixteen people have been arrested in connection with Mr McGuigan Sr’s murder. One person has been charged, the others were released unconditionally