§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce sanctions against those political parties whose paramilitary wings are found guilty of(a) smuggling and (b) counterfeiting goods in the United Kingdom. [70663]
§ Jane KennedyThe Organised Crime Task Force, which I chair, recognises the lingering, significant influence of paramilitary groups in such organised crime activities and assesses that nearly half of the 76 organised crime groups identified in Northern Ireland are either controlled by, or linked with, republican or loyalist paramilitary organisations.
That said, it is very important that I confirm that the law enforcement agencies represented on the Task Force do not tackle organised criminals or crime groups on the basis of their paramilitary affiliations (or lack of them), but because of their involvement in criminal activities.
The Government believe that the most effective sanctions against those engaged in criminality is to disrupt the activity and bring those involved to justice.
I hope that the hon. Gentleman will agree with me that his firm response by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, HM Customs and Excise and the other agencies represented on the Task Force, is the best response to those involved in smuggling, counterfeiting and, indeed, organised crime in all its forms.
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§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to(a) identify and (b) prosecute those paramilitary and other individuals involved in the (i) smuggling and (ii) counterfeiting of goods in Northern Ireland. [70662]
§ Jane KennedyThe Organised Crime Task Force, which I chair, has a clear strategy in place to tackle these two key areas of organised criminal activity, which are laid out in the "Confronting the Threat" threat assessment and strategy documents, published and laid in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament on 23 May 2002.
The threat assessment and strategy documents describe in detail the successes that the law enforcement agencies have had in tackling smuggling, counterfeiting and, indeed, other areas of organised criminality. In brief, the Task Force has identified 76 criminal networks involved in a range of organised criminality. It has been assessed that at 31 March 2002: 41 per cent. of the groups are involved in tobacco smuggling; 30 per cent. engaged in alcohol smuggling; 26 per cent. in hydrocarbon smuggling; and 34 per cent. of the group are involved in counterfeiting goods.
During the last financial year, 57 criminal networks were subject to detailed law enforcement investigation and 43 have had members arrested for a wider range of serious offences. As a direct result of such action, 42 organised crime networks have been disrupted or dismantled.