Police failed to make public details about an attempt to kill a man in Belfast earlier this year.
Details about the potentially deadly incident emerged after a paramilitary group claimed responsibility for killing two alleged drug dealers in the city last year.
Action Against Drugs also claimed it had tried to kill three other men across the city over the past year.
It is understood that in March this year armed men tried to kill an alleged drug dealer in the New Lodge area of north Belfast.
Armed men made their way into the man’s home before firing two shots at him.
It is understood two rounds, fired from a .22 handgun, were removed from the walls of the property by a family member and later handed over to police who visited the house in unmarked cars.
Unusually, the attempt to kill the man was not made public by the PSNI press office, which normally makes media outlets aware of serious incidents.
A PSNI spokeswoman last night confirmed a “shooting incident was reported” to them.
She defended the decision not to make details of the gun attack public.
“When considering the merits of releasing the details of a particular incident to media, police officers must balance investigative need with the wishes of those affected by the particular incident or crime,” she said.
“We are at all times mindful of the possible impact on victims and must conduct our investigation in a way that best supports them.”
In a statement to the Irish News this week AAD claimed it killed two men it alleged were drug dealers.
The republican group said it killed fast food delivery driver Dan Murray last May during a bogus call out to an address at Lady Street in West Belfast.
It has also confirmed shooting Joe Reilly in Poleglass on the outskirts of west Belfast last October.
