Issue Date: 18/02/2021
On Wednesday February 17, 2021 a planned Cross Border Joint Agency Task Force Operation tackling rural crime was conducted along border counties.
This Joint Agency Task Force operation included collaboration and cooperation with the PSNI and the Garda North Western Regional Armed Support Unit, the Garda Air Support Unit, regular Policing Units, Detective Branches, and roads policing units from the Louth, Cavan/Monaghan, Sligo/Leitrim, and Donegal divisions.
This specific day of action spanned the entire border area concentrating on cross border burglaries and Organised Crime Gangs that use the border corridor to facilitate their criminal activity.
The objective of this operation is:
• To reduce the harm caused to rural communities as a result of rural criminal activity
• To prevent and detect criminals and criminality in the area.
• To prevent and disrupt the free movement of criminals on road networks in the common travel area within the border region from conducting unlawful activities.
The operation involved a high visibility targeted tactical deployment of operational resources on both sides of the border with An Garda Siochana and the PSNI working in a co-ordinated fashion to prevent crime, disrupt criminal activity, apprehend criminals and enhance shared criminal intelligence between the two police forces operating on the Island of Ireland.
This operation involved high visibility patrols and coordinated activity to detect crime and provide reassurance to the public.
During the operation a number of detections were made:
• 5 arrests were made for those driving under the influence of an intoxicant,
• 3 detections were made for drugs possession arising from a number of drugs searches.
• 3 vehicles were seized under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act,
• One man in his 40s has been arrested following the seizure of suspected heroin, amphetamines and cannabis in Clones, Co. Monaghan.
• Separately the PSNI made 12 arrests, 8 drugs seizures and seized 3 vehicles during the operation.
D/Superintendent John O’Flaherty of the North Western Region said: "An Garda Síochána is acutely aware that rural crime has the potential to cause serious harm to local communities and with our colleagues in the PSNI we are committed to working together to ensure we keep everyone safe on both sides of the border.
"Last evening’s operation forms part of our continued efforts to disrupt the movements and activities of Organised Crime Gangs and works to reduce and prevent criminal activity in border areas”.
