Community must 'play its part' in tackling organised crime

NIO Minister Des Browne has urged the public to "play their part" in tackling the scourge of organised crime.

Mr Browne made his comments at a meeting of local business people and elected representatives in Ballymena as part of an awareness evening organised by The Organised Crime Task Force.

The Minister said that every member of the community was affected by organised crime and so it was in the interests of the public at large to assist authorities in the fight against crime.

"The fight against organised crime is not just the preserve of government and the agencies of the law," he said.

"We can lead from the front, but we can only succeed with strong support from you - local businesses, the media and, most importantly, the community at large.

"I want to challenge the notion that no one suffers because of organised crime. The reality is that it is extremely dangerous. One of the greatest challenges we face is to persuade the public to support us in ridding their communities of this menace. It must be remembered that there is no such thing as victimless crime.

"In Northern Ireland organised criminal activity has the potential to impact strongly on the very fabric of society itself. Tonight, therefore I am encouraging all law-abiding members of the public to think about the contribution you can make in helping to make organised crime a less attractive occupation."

The Organised Crime Task Force was created in September 2000 and combines the efforts of HM Customs and Excise, the PSNI, the NIO, the Home Office, Inland Revenue, National Criminal Intelligence Service and other government agencies.

Referring to the new Assets Recovery Agency, which will commence operations in Northern Ireland next week, Mr Browne said:

The Assets Recovery Agency, which begins its work next week, was described by Mr Browne as a "significant additional component in our overall strategy".

He added: "It is not acceptable that criminal figures can live extravagant lifestyles without any visible means of income."

The Assets Recovery Agency will have powers to investigate and recover wealth which offenders have accumulated through criminal activity and will also have powers of taxation.

Other Organised Crime Task Force members present at the event included Chris Albiston, Assistant Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Donald Toon, Regional Manager of Investigations at Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and Keith Moore, Deputy Director of the Special Compliance Office at the Inland

The taskforce has scored some successes in recent days including the seizure of over 1,000,000 cigarettes with a value of over £250,000 at Belfast International Airport. Elsewhere, police have seized counterfeit CD's and DVD's with a value of £39,000 and approximately 6,000,000 duty free cigarettes from an abandoned warehouse site in Ballynakilly, near Coalisland. Four men have been charged in connection with the seizure.

(GMcG)