| From Unity, 15 May 2004 |
Dealing with criminal gangs |
| In an effort to end paramilitary extortion the government intends to introduce what local papers call “tough US-style anti-mafia laws.” A report, called Confronting the Threat, was published this week. It states that more than 230 “gangs” are running organised crime in Northern Ireland, allegedly making tens of millions of pounds.
Of interest is the accusation that the Provisional IRA are involved in large-scale smuggling and tobacco and alcohol fraud. Loyalists, on the other hand, are allegedly mainly involved in extortion, drugs, robbery, and prostitution. I have no doubt that there is some truth in some of these allegations, which are bandied about on regular occasions by people within the community. However, I have yet to read the full report to see where it is getting its evidence. And it concerns me to see that the response to this report is to pilot an “independent private-sector Inspector-General programme,” which will be used to gain access to the financial records of construction companies, to stop them paying protection money. The report noted that the problem is worst in the construction industry, where it is estimated that demands run into hundreds of thousands of pound, with more than 70 per cent of incidents being blamed upon loyalists. Apparently extortion is one of the priorities of the “task force.” The notion of a private company being established to carry out what is essentially public work smacks a little bit too much of jobs and money for the “boys” once again. We live in a capitalist system that encourages the notion of money-making as a human attribute. There is often a thin dividing line between those who do it legally and those who do it illegally: open the books on the oil market and see what you find. However, the political parties that have links with paramilitary organisations must take some responsibility for recognising and challenging any crime-related action. On the other hand, we should note that company records are probably already accessible, that the establishment of a private company to deal with this will cost taxpayers an arm and a leg, that the United States is not so great at catching its own Mafia-style organisations. And finally, if the report reveals so much about criminal activity, why can’t the PSNI begin to deal with them through the normal channels? |
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