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FIVE MEN HAVE been arrested in a PSNI crackdown on the Belfast INLA.
The massive policing operation is ongoing across the greater Belfast area and involves over 200 police officers supported by their colleagues from the National Crime Agency and HMRC.
It is the latest operation of the PSNI’s Paramilitary Crime Task Force and is focussed on the criminal activities of the Belfast INLA.
The PSNI said:
“Today we have carried out a total of 12 property searches in North, South and West Belfast, Lisburn, Crumlin and Newtownabbey. Some of these are still under way.”
The operation was focussed on extortion, paramilitary assaults and prostitution.
One of the premises raided was the headquarters of the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP), the political party aligned to the INLA. The group called the raid “blatant political policing”.
Five people were arrested – aged 33, 41, 48, 49 and 51 – with further arrests planned.
They have all been taken into police custody where they are currently being questioned by detectives.
Head of Crime Operations Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin said: “The October 2015 Assessment of Paramilitary Groups in NI by PSNI and MI5 at the request of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, stated very clearly that INLA’s structures remained in existence and that its members continued to be heavily involved in criminality including extortion, paramilitary style attacks and violent acts of intimidation against people allegedly involved in dealing drugs in communities. These activities were assessed to have a significant and negative impact on local communities and this made the INLA’s a priority for the PCTF.
“This search and arrest operation is the largest conducted by the Task Force to date and is the result of an investigation that has been under way for a significant period of time into the group’s criminality and specifically its involvement in extortion and prostitution.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to appeal to anyone who believes they or their business are the subject of extortion to contact officers at the Paramilitary Crime Task Force on our 101 non-emergency number. We want to hear from you and, as today’s action demonstrates, where we can secure evidence of these suspected offences we will take action.
“There has been a misconception in some quarters that the work of the Paramilitary Crime Task Force is focused only on loyalist paramilitaries. Today’s policing activity and a related operation in Derry/Londonderry in March clearly demonstrate that our work is to remove paramilitarism from all our communities across Northern Ireland.”
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Fantastic news coupled with the UDA raids in Down last week great to see those who want war be arrested.
I can see a rise in activity if the institutions are not reinstated. The Irish Language and same sex marriage are issues to be dealt with by the assembly.
@Philip Morgan:
No actually the assembly won’t agree to them, that’s why they need to be agreed before Sinn Fein goes back into government
@Philip Morgan: The NI assembly voted in favour of SSM.. It was the DUP who blocked it… And the DUP agreed to an Irish language Act until their friends in the UDA/UVF/Orange Order got a look at it..
@Vigo the Carpathian: Yes and the DUP have want to remove the petition on concern. The fact is the people of NI are suffering and until SF and the DUP grow up they will continue to suffer and this will lead to lads digging up their guns.
@Philip Morgan: You kidding? That was only 3 searches in the UDA raid, this one was 12! The UDA/UVF are far bigger organisations and the PSNI are afraid of them, the last attempted raid on the east Belfast UVF ended up in widespread rioting
@Philip Morgan: It’s not SF holding things up. I mean if the majority of the Assembly vote in favour of something then the democratic thing to do would be to accept it. And can you imagine the shit storm if it came out that SF were agreeing to things only to have them vetoed by the IRA.. Jesus Christ the DUP would claim that the entire Good Friday agreement was null and void.. Then you’ve Arlene using the Cash for Ash scheme to funnel nearly half a billion quid to her supporters… the UDA/UVF releasing statements during the week to remind us that they’ve gone nowhere and marching season on the way again costing tens of millions to police … It’s not SF who need to grow up here..
Wrap the green flag around me brigade.
@Michael Dowd: Good Republicans!
@John Mc Donagh: I doubt you’d know one if he jumped up and slapped you in the face.
Stick to the bitching.
@VeeryDrink: Oh indeed I would know them well, involved in smuggling racketeering murder, rape, fuel laundering, robbery intimidation etc but I would NEVER accuse them of being involved in human trafficking, prostitution or pimping. They’re far too civilised, too humane and too Christian for that sort of thing!
Blatant political policing.Besides Trump,what has prostitution got to do with politics.You couldnt make it up.
@Frank MacNamara: you do know how prostitution works and how it’s illegal and enforced by lowest of the low? What was your point?
@Niall Carry: I admire your effort in trying to get any sense or reason out of Frank McNamara.
And so it begins. Well done Tories.
@Brian harris: it never ended
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