Police have seized six mobile phones from two properties in west Belfast as part of an investigation into right-wing extremism.

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Terrorism Investigation Unit carried out the searches on Thursday. The items were taken for forensic examination.

The operation is connected to a wider investigation into right-wing extremism.

Last week, police recovered 17 improvised explosive devices and two detonators in Belfast. That discovery was linked to extreme right-wing terrorism.

A 35-year-old man, Wesley Thomas Fletcher of Leopold Street, appeared in court on Monday charged in connection with the explosives find. He faces two charges of possession of explosives under suspicious circumstances and one charge of possession of a prohibited weapon, a Taser. He was remanded in custody.

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said there has been an increase in extreme right-wing activity in recent years, linked to geopolitics. He said police are working with An Garda Siochana and UK forces, including the National Counter Terrorism network, to address the threat.

Amnesty International urged police to outline the full extent of the threat. Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International's Northern Ireland Programme Director, said the explosives find points to a clear and present danger.

Police appealed for anyone with information to contact them.