Gardai believe counterfeit racket had IRA links

Senior members of the Provisional IRA are believed to have benefited from a counterfeiting racket that was ended by gardaí from…

Senior members of the Provisional IRA are believed to have benefited from a counterfeiting racket that was ended by gardaí from Dundalk last week.

The seizure of high-quality false driving licences, insurance certificates and tax discs as well as forged euro and sterling notes was the culmination of more than a decade's work by gardaí. Sources say the forged documents have been sold to many unsuspecting motorists throughout Ireland.

One of the ringleaders had strong links to the Provisional IRA and is thought to have provided it with false driving licences and possibly passports before the Good Friday agreement existed.

"The people involved in this well-organised crime were so experienced in counterfeiting and had the best possible copying equipment," said one source.

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Although no forged passports have been recovered, a large number of driving licences were.

A quantity of the plastic material containing the emblem of the Irish harp that is used as a protective cover for the licences was found, along with signed photographs.

"Some appear to be from ordinary decent people including elderly people. It appears they were distributed across the country from the Border including Louth, Monaghan and Cavan to Westmeath, Laois and a large number in Dublin," the source said.

Gardaí believe that some unsuspecting people believed they were getting bona-fide licenses and have subsequently been faced with prosecution before the courts.

"My son handed in his driving licence and other documentation when he went to get a PSV licence and he was told his licence was false," one angry father said yesterday.

"As a result he was not properly insured and now he is being brought to court when he did nothing wrong."

He said his son had been asked to pay cash by an alleged official he dealt with when applying for his licence over five years ago.

Now the paper-pusher cannot be traced, and the young man is facing a possibly conviction for a crime he did not commit.

False insurance certificates for both the Republic and the UK were also recovered by gardaí who searched premises near Dundalk, as were high-quality photocopiers and almosy €3,000 in dud €50 notes.

Counterfeit sterling notes were also seized. All are being examined by technical experts, and gardaí say the nationwide investigation into the sophisticated operation is continuing.