Ireland has ratified the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime, making participation in international organised crime, including the illegal importation of immigrants, an offence.
UN members signed the convention and two protocols to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and smuggling of migrants by land, sea and air.
The convention also aims to promote international co-operation to prevent and combat transnational organised crime more effectively. It provides for the criminalisation of participation in an organised crime group, the laundering of the proceeds of crime, corruption by public officials and obstruction of justice.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said: “Criminals have no respect for borders and it was important for Ireland to demonstrate that we will play our part in the international effort to disrupt and destroy these criminal activities”.
Ireland has had a number of successful operations in recent times that would not have happened without the assistance of other States and international organisations, he added.