Loyalists in Northern Ireland are committed to ending criminality and drug dealing, a spokesman said today.
Frankie Gallagher was speaking after the Ulster Defence Association announced it was appointing a new political representative during a meeting in Larne, County Antrim, today.
Mr Gallagher said: "What today was about was showing solidarity with people in south east Antrim who wanted to continue their programme of transformation and that they also wanted to stop their area from being pulled down by crime, criminality and drug dealers."
The armed group has said it is committed to peace after a bloody campaign which claimed hundreds of lives throughout the troubles in Northern Ireland.
It has replaced their so-called Brigadier for south east Antrim amid cross- party calls for illegality to cease.