Report: Public blames crime rackets on paramilitaries
Three quarters of the public in Northern Ireland believe paramilitaries are running organised crime rackets, a new report revealed today.
With up to 200 gangs raking in millions of pounds from drug dealing, extortion and smuggling operations, nearly everyone believes they pose a major problem.
Awareness levels emerged from a British government survey aimed at helping the authorities deal with the threat.
British security minister Ian Pearson, who chairs the Organised Crime Task Force, claimed more and people recognised the menace.
He said: “While the government and the law enforcement agencies can lead from the front, the scourge of organised crime can only be fully addressed with the support of the public.
“That has been a constant message of the OCTF and I am pleased that this message is getting through to more and more people. This is something we must continue to build on.”
The research bulletin, part of the April 2004 Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey, questioned 1,300 adults to assess how familiar the public was with the racketeers and the multi-agency task force.
Among the key findings were:
:: the overwhelming majority (97%) believed there was a problem with organised crime in Northern Ireland
:: three quarters (75%) thought paramilitary organisations were mainly responsible for committing offences related to organised crime
:: nearly three quarters (73%) said they associated drug dealing with organised crime in Northern Ireland, 36% said protection/extortion racketeering, 34% said armed robbery and 26% said fuel smuggling
:: over half (58%) said that they would report someone if they knew they were associated with organised crime
:: almost one half (47%) had heard of the OCTF
:: the majority (56%), who had heard of the taskforce, thought that it was effective or very effective in raising awareness about organised crime.
Most people surveyed (95%) also thought the police had the main role in tackling organised crime.
Two thirds (66%) believed the British government had a role in tackling crime, while smaller proportions of those questioned thought that Customs and Excise (49%) and their local community (49%) had roles in tackling crime.
