23 November 2005

Justice

Joint Effort to Tackle Gangland Crime

Ciarán Cuffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the resources that are available to Gardaí through his Department, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Revenue Commissioners and other agencies to tackle the financial, accounting and money-laundering aspects of gangland crime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. 

Minister For Justice, Equality and Law Reform:

The National Bureau of Criminal Investigation is the Garda specialist unit tasked with the role of tackling organised crime.  It carries out this role by conducting intelligence-driven operations in close co-operation with other specialist units, specifically, the National Criminal Intelligence Unit, the Garda National Drugs Unit, the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and the Criminal Assets Bureau. 

The Criminal Assets Bureau, headed by a Chief Superintendent, is a multi-agency unit comprising personnel drawn from An Garda Síochána, the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social and Family Affairs. 

The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation has responsibility for the investigation of fraud-related crime on a national basis, including money laundering offences.  The Bureau's Money Laundering Investigation Unit is actively involved in the recording, evaluation, analysis and investigation of disclosures relating to suspicious financial transactions. 

The tabular statement below summarises the total Garda strength of each of the Garda National Units investigating serious crime, as at 18 October, 2005. 

The Revenue Commissioners continue to support the work of An Garda Síochána in combating organised crime, in particular through the work of the Criminal Assets Bureau.  In this regard, Revenue has recently assigned an additional officer to work full time with the Bureau.  Revenue has also established excellent cooperation with the relevant Garda National Units.  The ensures that when Revenue's investigation, prosecution and enforcement activity, particularly in the areas of drugs and cigarette smuggling and oil frauds, identifies linkages to organised/gangland crime these are made known to the Gardaí and the individuals concerned are pursued with the financial (including illicit profits) and money laundering aspects of their activities being fully explored. 

Revenue officers engaged in investigation, enforcement and prosecution related work are increasingly aware of and alert to the possibilities of identifying financially based criminal activity or linkages to it and of the need to liaise with and support the Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau.