Cross Border Law Enforcement Partnership Ensures Border Offers No Protection To Organised Criminals

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., and the Northern Ireland Office Security Minister, and Chair of the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF), the Rt. Hon. Paul Goggins MP attended the annual Cross Border Seminar on Organised Crime in Dundalk to outline the respective Governments' successes in tackling organised crime gangs right across Ireland, North and South. 

This is the seventh Cross Border seminar on Organised Crime, which has been organised jointly by the Northern Ireland Office and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. 

It brings together senior offices from An Garda Síochána, PSNI, the Serious Organised Crime Agency, Criminal Assets Bureau, Revenue Commissioners, HM Revenue and Customs, Government Departments and immigration officers from both jurisdictions.

The theme of this year's seminar is "Creating a Safer Society". A number of workshops were held during the seminar on issues ranging from human trafficking to fiscal fraud.

Minister Ahern said: "This event continues to build on the successes arising from previous years and is pivotal in ensuring that cross border cooperation is strengthened.

"This event brings together personnel from law enforcement agencies with the specific remit of focussing on cross border issues. As Minister I am looking forward to hearing how this event contributes in real terms to tackling the problems of cross border criminality over the coming year."

Minister Ahern concluded: "In organising this event, my Department, and the Northern Ireland Office, are helping to ensure that cross border criminal issues remain high on the priority list for all law enforcement agencies so that effective and coordinated plans can be put in place to reduce the effects of crime on our society."

Minister Goggins said: "Both the British and Irish Governments are united in their efforts to combat the menace posed by criminal gangs and applaud the successes enjoyed by the PSNI, An Garda Síochána and other agencies in the ongoing fight against organised crime.

"Levels of co-operation between all the law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border have never been better.

"They are working as one to arrest, disrupt and seize goods from organised criminals. This united approach at both political and operational level is producing results and sends a very clear message to organised criminal gangs that there is no hiding place on either side of the border for their illegal activity."

The Ministers were also joined by the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána Mr. Fachtna Murphy and PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie.

Previous seminars were held in Fermanagh in 2008, Dublin in 2007 and Limavady in 2006.