ADDENDUM TO ORGANIZED CRIME IN IRELAND REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 001567

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014
TAGS: PINR PREL PTER EI
SUBJECT: ADDENDUM TO ORGANIZED CRIME IN IRELAND REPORT
(C-CN5-00417)

REF: A. SECSTATE 146246


B. DUBLIN 1196

Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF MARY DALY, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B),(D)


1. (C) Per ref A's request for continued information on
organized crime elements in Ireland, Post offers the
following updates from police sources who were available for
comment after the drafting of ref B:


2. (C) Irish police report Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese, and
West African involvement in various organized criminal
activity in Ireland. Per ref B, each national group tends to
interact primarily within its own ethnic community in
Ireland.

Russians
--------------


A. According to the police, Russian owned companies in
Canada conduct suspect financial banking and insurance
transactions in Moldova and manufacture government documents
for the Republic of Moldova. These companies are registered
in Ireland with Russian and Moldovan employees.

Chinese
--------------


B. Irish police intelligence reports that members of two
Triad Gangs, the Wo Shin Wo and the 14K operate in Ireland.
According to the police, the Chinese tend to be active within
their community and not draw public attention. Their
community participation is allegedly in casinos, trafficking
women, and money laundering through restaurants and
properties. Police report a great deal of interaction
between the Chinese in Ireland and the Chinese in Scotland.
The police also report 'many incidents' with Chinese
nationals' involvement in kidnappings, extortion and even
murder within their own community. These are rarely brought
to the attention of the public and local Chinese tend not to
cooperate with police investigations.

West Africans
--------------


C. The Irish police report that West African criminal gangs
predominantly operate in the areas of drug trafficking,
immigration offenses, credit card fraud and phone fraud.
Police intelligence suspects that Ireland is a destination
country for drug importation (mostly cocaine) organized by
Nigerian criminals. Cocaine is brought in by air, using
couriers who tend to frequently bring in small amounts.
Police also maintain suspicion that drugs may transit Ireland
en route to the UK.


D. Irish police report that among the West African organized
criminals, they see forged documents and multiple identities,
used to facilitate both drug trafficking and illegal
immigration. For example, one Nigerian was arrested and
found to have four false driving licenses, five bank accounts
and at least 10 aliases. He applied for political asylum
four times in different names.


E. Of great concern to the Irish authorities is the
potential exploitation of links between the UK and Ireland.
In particular, police are concerned that criminals use
ferries between the two countries to smuggle drugs and
immigrants. They report several instances of Nigerians and
other West Africans attempting to enter the UK from Ireland
at ferry ports, notably Stranraer, Scotland.


3. (C) Post would also note that the IRA's decommissioning
in 2005 advances the peace process and the chances for a
permanent political solution to the problems of Northern
Ireland. However, it also means that even if the
organization is entering a new mode, individuals with
experience in organized crime and terrorism remain in the
Republic and may be involved in some of the gangland
shootings in 2005.


4. (C) Per ref A, the police report that there is little
intelligence that any relationships exist between the
above-mentioned groups and Irish organized crime. Likewise,
there is no intelligence that these groups cooperate among
themselves, or that they are linked to terrorist groups in
Ireland. There is no evidence of corrupt relationships

between these groups and Irish businessmen or government
officials.

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