THE ESCALATION OF INTIMIDATION....
Interesting to read that the level of paramilitary extortion rackets has increased in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, according to a senior police analyst. Small businesses are being forced to pay up to £10,000 a month to paramilitaries who threaten them with violence and intimidation, according to Bridget Lloyd, assistant director of analytical services at the PSNI. Writing in the current edition of Economic Outlook And Business Review, Ms Lloyd said the sophistication of organised crime in Northern Ireland had been influenced significantly by paramilitary involvement.
ANYONE who lives in the Province will testify to the veracity of what this report is claiming. The Godfathers of crime have become much more sophisticated in how they operate but they remain just as evil and as parasitic on hard-working people. Can you IMAGINE what will happen should THEIR delegates gain control over policing?
David Vance
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Maybe a local fast food company can't or won't move out, but other companies can, bringing their jobs with them.
I'd love to see some followup on this, maybe naming names --which organizations in which area of which town, etc.
There are some who claim that "their guys" don't engage in this sort of thing. I'd like to hear which "loyalist" and which "nationalist" groups are engaging in this criminal activity. Any specifics, anyone?
Let's not forget smuggling diesel, laundering agricultural diesel (and dumping the poisonous residue in the countryside), smuggling rubbish from the republic to dump in illegal landfills with the connivance of landowners, smuggling boooze and cigarettes in vast quantities from Europe, counterfeiting dvds, perfume, vodka, computer software, etc etc etc.
I could go on...
For example when interviewing a Gerry Adams, Ian Paisley or whoever, are these uestion posed:
Do you agree that nationalist/loyalist extortion/protection rackets exist?
What should be done about it?
What should an affected business owner do if approached by someone seeking protection money?
Since everyone says that their lads have no involvement in any of this stuff, surely, there would be no problem from any quarter island-wide if there was a concerted PSNI/Gardai effort (perhaps with the help of police/investigators from a friendly nation to avoid any charge of bias)meant at exposing and eliminating every last trace of protection rackets, as well as all counterfeiting and smuggling activities of any kind, in every area of the Republic and the North?
Surely, they'd all endorse an effort like this! Since none of their lads have any involvement, and since they've all said that they're opposed to crime!
The key word is "supposed"!
It is also outragous that there is little actual outrage about it.
It is all part of the toleration of terrorism and its associated less dramatic criminality
Oh it is.
I hope this thread does not sputter out. There are some regular readers/contributors whose opinions I'd like to see. Really!
Is there any evidence that the problem really is excalating?
The author did say it was very difficult to assess the scale and scope of the problem.
Also, it would help if there were at least estimates to show how NI cities compared to cities in the US and Japan.
David, as far as I know you are the only one here with a business in NI. Have you ever been visited by the guy with shades looking for $$ ?
(and, no, I don't mean the tax man!)
Come to think of it, maybe that's why you had that urgent whip-around some time back!
Just saw your question. The answer is No. Thank goodness. And if I was, I know exactly what to say and do.
I'm sure it must depend on the area of activity as well. I imagine the building area is more susceptible.
Phantom,
Some threads die frustratingly early!! Others last frustratingly longer than strictly necessary.
Who is it you want to hear from? Name names , and woo them onto this thread to do with them as you wish !
You're a good man and a straight-speaker, and I'd like your opinion on this subject:
Do you agree that nationalist and/or loyalist extortion/protection rackets exist?
What should be done about it?
What should an affected business owner do if approached by someone seeking protection money?
Would you be in favor of a joint Gardai/NI Police/perhaps friendly party effort to stamp out smuggling and protection rackets islandwide?