Assets of £30 million have been seized from organised crime gangs in Northern Ireland in the past year, it was revealed today.
NI Security Minister and chair of the Organised Crime Task Force, Paul Goggins, said police and customs officers as well as the Assets Recovery Agency were working hard together to make sure crime did not pay.
Over the last three years police had seized over £21 million in counterfeit and pirated goods and deliveries of legitimate fuel had increased by 28 per cent since 2000 as the crackdown on illicit fuel was intensified.
"By working together we can continue to bear down on criminals and rid our society of the economic and human costs of organised crime," said Mr Goggins.
In the past year, employers organisation the CBI has joined the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF).
Speaking after meeting with CBI members, the minister said the business community was playing a vital role in combating crime.
He described the CBI as a key partner on the task force, working with others to raise awareness about the harm of organised crime and how people could help overcome it.
The minister also welcomed the police announcement today they had seized £100,000 worth of illegal goods during a two-day operation at the Oul Lammas Fair in Ballycastle, Co Antrim.
Mr Goggins said it was crucial everyone continued to work together to remove the blight of organised crime from society.
PA