Paramilitary crime link highlighted

The task force aims to clamp down on organised crime

Paramilitaries are linked to almost seven out of ten crime gangs operating in Northern Ireland, according to a new report.

The fourth annual report from the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF), published on Tuesday, says the criminals are making tens of millions of pounds a year from drugs, fuel and tobacco smuggling, money laundering and counterfeiting.

There are about 235 organised crime gangs in the province. Of those, about 85 'top level' gangs are operating internationally.

According to the report, the IRA is linked to large scale smuggling and counterfeiting, tax and VAT fraud.

On the loyalist side, the UVF is linked to smuggling, robbery and extortion and the UDA to drugs, counterfeiting and prostitution.

The vast majority of organised crime groups have clear links to paramilitary organisations Ian Pearson Security Minister

Security minister Ian Pearson, chair of the Organised Crime Task Force, said the levels of organised criminality remained unacceptably high and posed "a real and significant threat".

"Organised crime corrupts. It undermines the economy and places severe restrictions on the running of normal businesses," he said.

"In Northern Ireland it has even more sinister undertones, given that the vast majority of organised crime groups have clear links to paramilitary organisations."

The Northern Ireland Organised Crime Task Force was established in September 2000 to provide the strategic direction for a multi-agency approach to tackling organised crime.

Bringing together government, law enforcement and a wide range of other agencies, it is a forum where partner agencies can discuss problems, share information and agree priorities.

In the past year, the task force's successes include the disruption or dismantling of 60 gangs. Millions of pounds worth of drugs and counterfeit goods and millions of cigarettes were also seized.

About £1m of criminal assets were confiscated and assets of around £3m were frozen by the Assets Recovery Agency

However, the task force says with so much money at stake, the fight against organised crime is going to be a long drawn out campaign.