Former top PSNI officer: Paramilitaries are undermining rule of law and democracy’

Ex-Det Chief Supt Roy McComb, who is also a former deputy director of the National Crime Agency, is now a private consultant on organised crime and terrorism for the UN, the Foreign Office and The EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training.

In yesterday’s News Letter he highlighted how eastern European crime gangs are steadily rising in influence across NI. Today he says the threat posed by paramilitaries to NI is still “significant”.

“Do the paramilitaries of today have the ability to wage a war by comparison to UVF and PIRA of the 1970s and 80s?” he asked. “Probably not – but they still pose a serious threat to people in Northern Ireland.

“It gets even more complex when you understand that both republicans and loyalists are involved in organised crime.

“So the threat they pose isn’t one of obvious terrorist activity. They have morphed from being an overtly terrorist group to being a terrorist group that are involved in organised crime, and in that sense they pose a significant risk to the people of Northern Ireland.

“I say that in the context of counterfeit goods that are being sold, the drugs being made available, the undermining of confidence in law enforcement because of organised crime activities, and the scale and willingness of money laundering to be undertaken.

“So in that sense organised crime should be given greater standing and priority for both government and law enforcement.”

Asked if paramilitaries are impacting on the rule of law and democracy he is unequivocal.

“Yes they are, because they are given voices, they are invited to meetings, they are given opportunities to comment, they are presented as if they are spokespeople for communities when in fact everybody knows that they are leaders and representatives of paramilitary groups.

“They should be reviled for what they are – namely, they are organised criminals wrapped in a flag of convenience. There is active criminality in both republican communities and loyalist communities that are masquerading as people that are supposedly involved in the communities. There are people who hide behind the banner of the tricolour or Ulster flag in order to make money through organised crime.”

MORE NEWS:

UFU: Shortage of migrant labour may hit Christmas in Northern Ireland

Former top PSNI officer rejects watchdog proposal to decriminalise paramilitaries

Calls to NI charity treble as Afghanistan veterans retraumatised

West Balkan crime gangs ‘emerging as top dogs in NI’ says former head of PSNI Organised Crime Branch

NI’s annual drugs death rate worse than most years of Troubles, says former head of PSNI Organised Crime Branch

Eastern European cyber gangs being used to troll Arlene Foster and Stephen Nolan, warns expert

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry

Acting Editor