Woman arrested over the IRA murder of Jean McConville in 1972

DETECTIVES from the PSNI’s Terrorist Investigation Unit have arrested a woman over the murder Jean McConville in 1972.

The 57-year-old woman was detained in west Belfast earlier today, Thursday 10 April.

The suspect was whisked away to the Serious Crime Suite at Antrim police station for questioning under section 41 of the Terrorism Act.

Mrs McConville, 37, a widow and mother of 10 children, was abducted in December 1972 from her flat in the Divis area of west Belfast and shot by the IRA.

Her body was recovered on a beach in Co Louth in August 2003.

Last month, former IRA Belfast ‘Adjutant’ Ivor Bell was charged with aiding and abetting Mrs McConville’s murder.

Bell, once a right hand man of Gerry Adams, was initially remanded in custody after he appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court.

However, the west Belfast pensioner was later released on High Court bail.

His arrested is linked to the PSNI’s investigation into the Boston tapes which included an interview with former IRA man Brendan ‘The Dark’ Hughes.

He said that the murder of Mrs McConville was ordered by Gerry Adams who at the time was the IRA’s ‘Officer Commanding’ in Belfast.