Pubdate: Tue, 11 May 2004
Source: Edinburgh Evening News (UK)
Copyright: 2004 The Scotsman Publications Ltd
Contact:  http://www.edinburghnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1626
Author: Diane King
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?203 (Terrorism)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

230 GANGS RUNNING ULSTER CRIME SCENE

MORE than 230 gangs are now running Northern Ireland's billion-pound 
organised crime industry, a report revealed today.

Even though 60 top-level outfits were smashed or disrupted in the past 
year, dangerous new groups with global links have moved in to plug the gap.

Loyalist and republican terrorists are heavily involved in sophisticated 
illegal operations stretching from North America to the Far East, the 
Government assessment confirmed.

Massive levels of drug smuggling, counterfeiting and extortion were 
uncovered in the Organised Crime Task Force's latest threat assessment.

The authorities identified 150 local gangs whose rackets are confined to 
the province.

But another 85 units turning over huge profits have established 
international links and recruited specialists to protect their illegitimate 
businesses.

The numbers represent a huge increase from previous years, but experts 
insisted this was down to advancements in collecting and analysing 
intelligence.

Northern Ireland Security Minister Ian Pearson, who heads the multi-agency 
OCTF, said: "We are aware of the challenges we face in the year ahead and 
we will continue to concentrate our efforts on putting the criminals out of 
business."

The dossier includes evidence of counterfeiting links with Turkey and 
Thailand as part of a trade worth UKP152 million a year.

These so-called intellectual property crimes show the lengths the gangs 
will go to.

Car brake-shoes were discovered made from compressed and painted grass. 
Meanwhile, tests on fake perfumes found urine.

A cannabis route stretching to South Africa was also found, along with 
illegal cigarettes coming in from China and fake currency from all over Europe.

Links with Chinese criminals involved in people-smuggling were detected as 
well.

The IRA is blamed for being heavily connected to a five million litre a 
year fuel laundering enterprise that helps fund the terror group. Loyalists 
were also up to their necks in crime, with 70 per cent of extortions last 
year attributed to them.
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