Posted on 02/19/2005 6:43:39 AM PST by Irish_Thatcherite
Two members of Sinn Fein were being questioned tonight as part of a police investigation into possible IRA links to a major money laundering operation.
They were among six men and a woman detained in Dublin and Co Cork.
More than £2 million was seized but late tonight police in Belfast could not confirm that any of the money was part of the £26.5 million stolen from the Northern Bank just before Christmas.
The Sinn Fein leadership said they were not prepared to make any comment on the cross-border inquiry but politicians from all the main parties in Belfast and Dublin said any republican involvement in the money laundering operation could have catastrophic consequences for the already crisis-hit Northern Ireland peace process.
One of the Sinn Fein members arrested in the raids in Cork is believed to be a former elected representative.
It is understood the man, who is in his 30s, was also engaged as an election worker for the party.
Democratic Unionist Party Assembly Member Ian Paisley Jnr claimed Sinn Fein and the IRA had been caught “red handed” in a massive money laundering operation.
Once again republicans had been caught directing and operating criminal activity “for the purposes of channelling money to their political and military wings”, he said.
Mr Paisley, a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, added: “If any of the money can be directly traced to the Northern Bank robbery, then it will clearly show Sinn Fein/IRA up for the liars and criminals we know them to be.”
He said they would have been proved to be as guilty as “three governments, two prime ministers, two chief police officers, the Independent Monitoring Commission, every democratic political party in Northern Ireland and almost every man and woman believe them to be”.
Two men were arrested in Cork last night – one in Douglas and one in Passage West – and around £60,000 sterling in Northern Bank notes was recovered.
A man and a woman were arrested this morning in the Farran area close to Cork City and, it is understood, up to £2 million sterling in cash was recovered.
Three men – one from Cork and two who are believed to be from Derry – were arrested close to a Dublin train station last night as part of the same investigation. More than 90,000 euro (£62,000) was seized in this operation.
A financier and his wife are believed to be among those being questioned by detectives.
All those arrested are being held under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act at garda stations across Cork and Dublin.
A garda spokesman said all seven can be held for up to 72 hours before they have to be charged or released.
He said the operation was ongoing and further searches were under way in separate locations in Leinster tonight.
A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokeswoman said they were continuing to work actively with the gardai in connection with the December 20 Northern Bank robbery.
“It is too early to say at this stage if any of the money found was connected to the Northern Bank robbery but both forces are in contact,” she said.
A spokesman for Irish justice minister Michael McDowell said he was aware of the arrests and was being continuously updated on developments.
Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kincaid, who is in overall charge of the investigation into the Northern Bank robbery, was in Dublin today for talks with senior Garda detectives, where the raid was discussed.
Detective Superintendent Andy Sproule, who is heading the day-to-day operation of the investigation, is expected to travel to Dublin tomorrow.
Around £26.5 million sterling was stolen from the Northern Bank in Belfast last December in a raid that has been blamed on the Provisional IRA. But the IRA and Sinn Fein have repeatedly denied involvement.
Sinn Fein said it was not prepared to comment on the arrests until further information emerged.
“Over the last four weeks we have seen people rush to judgment time and time again,” a spokesman said.
“We would urge people to exercise caution on this occasion and allow the truth to come out,”
Ulster Unionist senior negotiator Michael McGimpsey said the time had come for Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish premier Bertie Ahern to exclude Sinn Fein from the political process. a Kenny, the leader of the main Dublin opposition party Fine Gael, said the arrests raised grave questions for Sinn Fein.
“In view of Sinn Fein’s repeated denials of Sinn Fein or IRA involvement in any criminal activity, the leadership of Sinn Fein must make an immediate statement on this development and on its relationship with those involved,” he said.
Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte said the seizure of large amounts of money was an “astonishing development”.
He said: “Whilst we await more details to emerge, it is of extreme concern that the Garda operation was specifically directed at IRA money laundering.
“However, even at this early stage, it appears that today’s events are particularly significant in the context of the Northern bank robbery and subsequent denials by IRA and Sinn Fein.”
The Green Party said there was even more cause for concern about the future of the Good Friday agreement and called on Sinn Fein to give a full and frank explanation.
Leader Trevor Sargent said: “This highlights more than ever the liability which the IRA is to the peace process.
“It is not possible to maintain an illegal standing army without recourse to criminal fund-raising activity.”
For another thread, but speaking to your point: PETA is to the ALF as Sinn Fein is to the IRA; the political wing of a terrorist organization.
I'm adding GUBU as a keyword!
Gerramiah choose a bad time to go on holidays!
>My wife was telling me about these arrests last night. I didn't realize that Cork was such a hotbed of IRA sympathizers.
It's not called the "Rebel County" for nothing. That area was key in the struggle of Irish independence for a long time, and one of Ireland's favorite sons, Michael Collins, hails from there. It does seem odd that it's nearly as far as one can get from the north yet be so fervent in its desire for reunification.
I was very surprised just how deep that passion is in that area. During my last visit, one night down pub in Cashel, the talk of Ireland's north and IRA support was like something one would have heard in the US south about the KKK and civil rights during the 1960's. It was a real eye-opener for me, who'd love nothing better than all of Ireland to be one Republic, but not through thuggery and terrorism.
The fact that they're at the extreme other end of the island from the bickering nutters up north is probably a big reason as to why they're in favour of it - they can participate from afar in creating mayhem that will never affect them directly, whether reunification is achieved or not. Rather like the Yank IRA supporters in New York and Boston I suppose.
Love GUBU, BTW. Haughey was a real piece of work. It should absolutely be a keyword!
FF are the real criminals of Ireland for years they have been screwing people out of money just look at the scandal with the old age pensioners.
NO ONE HAS BEEN CHARGED YET!!!!! All the gardai can do is charge people for membership.
Sinn Fein are socialist, terrorist scum.
But seeing as you are leading their cheer leading squad, I don't expect you to agree.
Excellent post.
GUBU? Is that anything like the term "FUBAR" over here? (F#@^ed Up Beyond All Recognition)
>Rather like the Yank IRA supporters in New York and Boston I suppose.
This Yank, who lives near Boston, but wasn't spawned here, has a rather negative view of the ancestral Irish about him.
One thing's for certain about the Boston Irish (can't comment on the New York clan, but I assume the same is true by osmosis), and that is they're consistent in their political naivete.
Just how smart can they be when they continue to elect the likes of that drooling gasbag, Teddy K, and let a world class poseur, John Forbes Kerry, fool them into believing he's of Irish ancestry (all ya gotta do is have a look at his face and you realize he ain't blood)? Christ, they'd have voted for Adolf himself had his surname started with an O or Mc.
Seriously, I suspect the Boston Irish are so supportive of the IRA due to the generational hatred that has its origins back on the island. That was then compounded when first landing here in the US, where they were treated worse than dogs by the established society in Boston, that being WASP. I suppose they believe they're exacting some revenge without a clue what the mess is all about in The North. Sadly, the Irish grudge is an identifiable gene, be it found on the island or around the globe.
Your right Sappygal I don't agree
Is that the best you can come up with?
I thought a Sinn Fein/IRA sympathesier would have a bigger arsenal of insults. Or have you decided to decomission those?
Always wondered about that too. Teddy has become a grotesque caricature of himself and Kerry is a pompous do-nothing. Looks like they'll both be re-elected until they keel over though.
I've read that a lot of the Boston Irish never assimalited, especially compared to the rest of the country. Boston wasn't diverse at all as there were almost all Brahmins(Kerry) and Irish Catholics.
New York also had the Dutch, Scots, Germans, blacks, British, Jews, Italians, and just about every other ethnic group. Archbishop John Hughes also was a strong leader of the New York Irish, and was an American first. He fought some of the Fenians as hard as he did the Nativists. There was tension in NY, but not as much as Boston.
Detroit (which became very diverse with the auto plants) was a very young city at the time and didn't have as much of the combativeness as the East Coast did. Being inland and able to afford the transportation fares, Most of the Irish there were better off than the Five Points residents were, or the Boston projects.
Lastly, it amazes me why ANYONE would vote for Ted Kennedy or John Kerry.
It's better we spill our sweat than spill out blood.
Can't we all just get along?
I did not have sexual relations with THAT woman.
Sinn Fein are not connected with the IRA and represent the people of Ireland.
You forgot your sarcasm tags! ;-)
Thanks guys! *L*
I do my best to entertain! ;-)
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