BY MICHAEL BRESLIN
The Chief Constable of the PSNI, Sir Hugh Orde revealed at a media briefing on a two-day cross-border organised crime conference in Enniskillen that the Semtex used in a dissident Republican attack on officers in Lisnaskea was not the first time this material was used by the group.
Sitting alongside his counterpart in the Gardai, Fachtna Murphy, he said he had no reason to step back from his statement at the time of the Northern Bank robbery that it was committed by the Provisional IRA.
But, his revelation that Semtex, the explosives favoured by the IRA had been used previously by the dissident group drew gasps from the media. However, Mr Orde was undeterred.
"They are determined to kill a police officer and yet my officers are still out there determined to deliver community policing. The key to this is co-operation. It is not just police, it's police and community working together, and if we get the information we can take these people out of circulation."
Later on, when he was asked if the current political stalemate was encouraging dissident Republican activity, he said that from the PSNI point of view, 'a political vacuum was a dangerous space'. He revealed that there had been 250 dissident attacks since 2001, with an increased level of violence in each attack on his officers.
"We have to have proper cover and this represents a huge expense in delivering community policing, but we will continue to do it. We're still responding to all calls and my officers will go out to meet that threat."
Joining the two senior Police officers at the top table were the two justice/security Ministers North and South, Paul Goggins and Dermot Ahern.
Asked if there was any significance that Enniskillen (the Lough Erne Golf Resort Hotel) was chosen for the cross-border seminar, Mr Goggins said the seminar required a location big enough and accessible to people. Mr Ahern suggested that it was because, 'it is one of the nicest parts of the country'.
The seminar analysed the Report of the cross-border organised crime assessment for this year. Ironically, it contained no reference at all to dissident Republican activity.
Asked by the 'Herald' what other areas of cross-Border crimes impacted on Fermanagh, Sir Hugh Orde said there was no evidence of human trafficking in Fermanagh, although the PSNI had identified four people in Belfast.
However, Fermanagh, in common with other border areas, suffered from an influx of cheap alcohol, fuel smuggling and counterfeit goods.
The Report refers to the seizure in October last year, 'close to the Border', of 1,100 counterfeit bottle tops and seals for a popular spirit brand. It comments: 'Such items are used in the packaging of illicit spirits in order to make the bottles appear more like the genuine article'.
Counterfeit products range from DVD's and clothing to watches and razor blades and, the Report states, are sold in a variety of locations, in factories and offices, from door to door, from vehicles, in pubs, at car boot sales and at markets.
'It is not uncommon for those involved to be linked to other types of organised criminality, including weapons and extortion'.
Fuel smuggling, it states, is carried out by organised criminal gangs to bring it across the border into the North concealed in hidden tanks so as to evade customs duties.
Rebated fuels, such as marked gas oil and kerosene were used by criminal gangs engaged in fuel laundering, as result of which there was damage to vehicles' engines as well as a loss to the Exchequer.
'Legitimate businesses cannot compete with the lower prices being offered by those selling illegal fuel', the Report adds.
Both senior Police officers and the two Ministers emphasised the close working relationship between the PSNI and the Gardai on these and other frauds as well as combating the dissident threat.
Dermot Ahern gave his opinion: "I have to say we have been successful, very significantly, particularly in dealing with the dissident threat. Intelligence has been very good. Given the attacks on the PSNI, we will cooperate as much as we can to deal with that."
Earlier, Sir Hugh Orde warned that those caught and convicted of involvement in dissident activity faced up to 30 years in prison.
"Until we have some sort of political arrangement to break the stalemate, there is the opportunity for young people to get tied up, but they are being used by senior dissident Republicans to their dirty work for them. They are not very brave, and the sooner they start realising that, the more quickly Northern Ireland can move on."
