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International mobs see states like Ireland as safe havens – we cannot be seen as a soft touch by organised crime
- Published: 8:00, 26 Mar 2023
- Updated: 22:06, 25 Mar 2023
GANGLAND crime has caused misery and mayhem here over the past three decades.
From pint-sized mobster John Gilligan to the Limerick feud and the Kinahan Cartel, Ireland has seen it all.
While foreign crime outfits also operate across the country, their numbers don’t compare to the home-grown gangsters. But there are fears this may change.
Laura Codruta Kövesi, who heads the European Public Prosecutor Office (EPPO), has blasted Ireland for not replying to requests for cooperation.
This week she said recent wiretaps reveal criminals are considering moving their activities to states like Ireland that are not part of the EPPO.
The EPPO office was created in 2021 with an aim of cracking down on fraud, money laundering and corruption across the EU.
WARNING TO IRELAND
THE European Union’s Chief Public Prosecutor, Laura Kövesi warned Ireland and other countries last Thursday about a possible migration of crime gangs toward them.
This is something our legal and justice leaders need to take action against.
At a joint meeting of the Parliament’s Justice and Budget committees, Kövesi, inset, said there’s a risk of gangs moving into Ireland — and Sweden, Denmark, Hungary and Poland — to avoid the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Who Watches the Watchers? 