18 people arrested as part of a joint operation between Gardaí and PSNI
A total of six arrests were made by Gardaí, with five made for people driving under the influence of an intoxicant. By Tadgh McNally Thursday 18 Feb 2021, 2:19 PM Feb 18th 2021, 2:19 PM 32,344 Views 13 Comments
Gardaí checkpoint on the border in October 2020
Image: PA
Image: PA
18 PEOPLE HAVE been arrested as part of a joint taskforce operation between the Gardaí and the PSNI in border counties yesterday.
The operation aimed to tackle criminality in rural areas, and the action spanned the entire border, with a focus on cross border burglaries and organised crime gangs using the border.
That is according to new figures provided by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee.
In information provided to co-leader of the Social Democrats, Catherine Murphy TD on foot of a written Dail question, Minister McEntee said last year gardaí discharged firearms on 17 occasions.
This was more than a five fold increase on 2019 when firearms were discharged three times.
Minister McEntee said the discharge of firearms included the 40mm launcher used by the armed support units, which is a non-lethal weapon.
Currently, the Garda Ombudsman is carrying out an investigation into the shooting of George Nkencho, on December, 30, at Manorfields Drive, Hartstown, west Dublin.
PSNI officers were part of a cross border Joint Agency Task Force operation focusing on rural crime.
The operation took place in border areas and involved the Gardai and officers from the PSNI s Neighbourhood and Local Policing Teams and Tactical Support Groups.
The PSNI Districts involved in this operation were Newry Mourne & Down, Armagh City Banbridge & Craigavon, Mid Ulster, Fermanagh & Omagh, and Derry City & Strabane.
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 also took part.
18 arrests in joint operation on rural border crime
Updated / Thursday, 18 Feb 2021
13:10
The operation focused on cross-border burglaries and organised crime gangs that use the border corridor to facilitate their criminal activity
North-East Correspondent
Eighteen people have been arrested as part of a joint operation by gardaí and the PNSI tackling rural crime in the border region.
The operation, carried out yesterday, was focused on cross-border burglaries and organised crime gangs that use the border corridor to facilitate their criminal activity and involved high visibility patrols.
Five arrests were made for those driving under the influence of an intoxicant and three detections were made for drugs possession following a number of drugs searches.
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