No Information to Link Irish Terrorist Organizations to International
Narcotics Trafficking (Correspondence, 09/29/2000, GAO/OSI-00-18R).
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on irish
terrorist organizations, focusing on whether they are engaged in
international narcotics trafficking.
GAO noted that: (1) Irish and British law enforcement officials provided
no information that Irish terrorist organizations are engaged in
international narcotics trafficking; (2) however, some Loyalist and
Republican terrorist organizations are engaged in street-level
narcotics, dealing in such drugs as heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and
cannabis; and (3) Irish police officials believe that shootings of major
drug dealers in Belfast and Dublin were related to in-country conflicts
and not international narcotics trafficking.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: OSI-00-18R
TITLE: No Information to Link Irish Terrorist Organizations to
International Narcotics Trafficking
DATE: 09/29/2000
SUBJECT: Drug trafficking
Narcotics
International relations
Terrorism
Organized crime
IDENTIFIER: Ireland
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GAO/OSI-00-18R
Irish Terrorists Not Linked to International Drug
Trafficking
United States General Accounting Office Washington, DC 20548
Office of Special Investigations
B- 286317 September 29, 2000 The Honorable Charles E. Grassley Chairman
Caucus on International Narcotics Control United States Senate
Subject: No Information to Link Irish Terrorist Organizations to
International Narcotics Trafficking
Dear Mr. Chairman: As requested, enclosed with this letter is a copy of a
briefing that GAO's Office of Special Investigations gave to William Olson,
Staff Director, Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control on
September 20, 2000. At that time, we presented the results of the work that
you had requested: to determine, through the cognizant authorities, if Irish
terrorist organizations are engaged in international narcotics trafficking.
As background, Irish terrorist organizations are classified into two main
groups: Loyalist (Protestant) and Republican (Catholic). The Loyalist
terrorist organizations operate mainly in Northern Ireland (Ulster), while
the Republican terrorists operate in both the Republic of Ireland and
Northern Ireland.
Irish and British law enforcement officials provided no information that
Irish terrorist organizations are engaged in international narcotics
trafficking. However, some Loyalist and Republican terrorist organizations
are engaged in street- level narcotics, dealing in such drugs as heroin,
cocaine, ecstasy, and cannabis (marijuana). Irish police officials believe
that shootings of major drug dealers in Belfast and Dublin were related to
in- country conflicts and not international narcotics trafficking.
We interviewed knowledgeable officials of the U. S. government (Drug
Enforcement Administration and U. S. Customs Service), Irish Customs and
Excise, Garda Siochana (Irish National Police), Royal Ulster Constabulary,
British Customs and Excise, United Nations Drug Control Program, and
European Police Office.
B- 286317 GAO/ OSI- 00- 18R Irish Terrorists Not Linked to International
Drug Trafficking Page 2 We will make copies of this letter available to
others. If you have any questions,
please contact Assistant Director Patrick Sullivan at (202) 512- 6722.
Senior Special Agent Thomas Wiley was a key contributor to this case.
Sincerely yours, Robert H. Hast Assistant Comptroller General
for Special Investigations
Enclosure I GAO/ OSI- 00- 18R Irish Terrorists Not Linked to International
Drug Trafficking Page 3
BRIEFING PAPER No Information to Link Irish Terrorist Organizations
to International Narcotics Trafficking Highlights of Findings
According to Irish and British law enforcement officials and corroboration
from other sources, all of the Irish terrorist organizations- Loyalist and
Republican- are engaged in some type of criminal activity to support their
organizations financially. Further, the Loyalist and Republican terrorist
organizations- with the exception of one Republican group noted below-
routinely engage in acts of violence, including murder.
Irish Terrorist Organizations
Irish and British law enforcement officials with jurisdiction over illicit
drug trafficking identified the following Loyalist and Republican terrorist
organizations and provided the following information about them.
Loyalist Terrorist Organizations
� Ulster Defense Association – The largest Loyalist terrorist
organization. Its political wing is the Ulster Democratic Party.
� Ulster Freedom Fighters – A more militant faction within the Ulster
Defense Association.
� Ulster Volunteer Force – The second largest Loyalist terrorist
organization, which has been in existence since the mid- 1960s.
� Loyalist Volunteer Force – Formed in 1996 by members of the Ulster
Volunteer Force who were opposed to the Irish peace process.
Republican Terrorist Organizations
� Irish Republican Army (IRA), also known as the Provisional IRA
� Provisional IRA – One of two factions of the IRA, formed in the
early 1970s when the IRA split. The Provisional IRA supported the use of
force to unite Ireland. It is the largest, best equipped, and best financed
of the Republican terrorist groups and officially and publicly takes an
anti- drug stance. Its political wing is Sinn Fein.
Direct Action Against Drugs is the cover name used by the Provisional IRA,
ostensibly to promote the “official,” public anti- drug position
of the Provisional IRA. Direct Action Against Drugs has taken credit for
killing and wounding
Enclosure I GAO/ OSI- 00- 18R Irish Terrorists Not Linked to International
Drug Trafficking Page 4 drug dealers.
� Real IRA – Formed in 1997 by dissident members of the Provisional
IRA who rejected the political leadership of Sinn Fein. The Real IRA claimed
responsibility for the August 1998 bombing of Omagh, Northern Ireland, which
left 28 dead and hundreds injured. After this bombing, the Real IRA called a
cease- fire.
� Continuity IRA – Continues to reject the peace process and draws its
support from radicals formerly associated with the Provisional IRA and the
Real IRA. Its political wing is Republican Sinn Fein.
� Official IRA – The second of two factions formed from the IRA split
in the 1970s. The Official IRA renounced violence and supported a political
solution to uniting Ireland. Its members are actively involved in criminal
activity, largely financial crime. Its political wing is the Irish Workers'
Party.
� Irish National Liberation Army – Formed by the more violent criminal
element formerly associated with the Official IRA. Its political wing is the
Irish Republican Socialist Party.
Irish Terrorists' Local, Not International, Narcotics Trafficking
Although Irish and British law enforcement officials and other corroborating
sources had no evidence to link Irish terrorist organizations and
international narcotics trafficking, we learned that some Loyalist and
Republican terrorist organizations are engaged in street- level narcotics
dealing. The narcotics include such drugs as heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and
cannabis.
According to Irish law enforcement officials, Loyalist terrorist
organizations control most organized criminal activity, including street-
level drug dealing, in the Protestant neighborhoods of Northern Ireland. The
Loyalist groups are not as sophisticated as Republican terrorist
organizations and do not have access to the same international network of
terrorist and criminal connections.
Also according to Irish law enforcement officials, Republican terrorists
control organized criminal activity in Northern Ireland, except in the
neighborhoods controlled by the Loyalist terrorists, and in parts of the
Republic of Ireland. In these areas, narcotics traffickers can operate only
with the acquiescence of the Republican terrorists.
In addition, we learned that Direct Action Against Drugs, a cover name for
the Provisional IRA, has publicly acknowledged killing and wounding drug
dealers in Belfast and Dublin. That terrorist group initiated these actions
ostensibly to support the Provisional IRA's anti- drug position. However,
police officials believe that the drug dealers were shot because they had
failed to pay “protection” money to the Provisional IRA.
Further, counter to the Provisional IRA's official anti- drug position,
individual members of the Provisional IRA, the Continuity IRA, and the Real
IRA are
Enclosure I GAO/ OSI- 00- 18R Irish Terrorists Not Linked to International
Drug Trafficking Page 5 known to engage in drug smuggling/ dealing
activities. The Irish National Liberation
Army also regularly engages in street- level drug dealing.
Additional Illegal Activities by Irish Terrorists
According to Irish law enforcement officials, Republican terrorists are
expert at international smuggling operations and have established
relationships with other terrorist organizations and criminal organizations
throughout the world. The Provisional IRA has been very successful in
smuggling weapons into the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Great
Britain. That terrorist group also controls the smuggling of untaxed tobacco
products, untaxed liquor, and counterfeit consumer goods (e. g., CDs,
videotapes, watches, and clothing) into Northern Ireland. In addition, the
Official IRA is expert at international financial crimes, including tax
fraud schemes, money laundering, and counterfeiting. According to these same
law enforcement officials, the eventual large- scale international smuggling
of narcotics may be the inevitable natural progression of these activities.
(600646)
*** End of document ***