Ulster Unionist Justice spokesperson, Tom Elliott, has hit out at the Nationalist and Republican parties on the day that the National Crime Agency (NCA) has come into force in the rest of the United Kingdom. Sinn Fein and the SDLP have blocked this crime fighting agency from being fully operational in Northern Ireland.

The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA said;

‘It is a sad day for Northern Ireland that the PSNI cannot call fully upon the National Crime Agency for support in their fight against serious and organised crime such as human trafficking, drugs smuggling and cybercrime. It also has specifically responsibilities in eradicating the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children and young people through the CEOP Command.’

'I assume it is just because this is a UK national issue that has resulted with Sinn Fein and the SDLP opposing this agency. It doesn't appear to matter to them that this will result with Northern Ireland being an open season opportunity for serious criminal activity like people trafficking and child exploitation.'

‘The DUP, as Sinn Fein’s partners in the Office of the First and deputy First Minister, have proven incapable of standing up to them on this issue and as a result the ordinary people of Northern Ireland will suffer through an inferior response to serious and organised crime.’

‘I have previously met with the Head of the NCA Keith Bristow and PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris who were certain of the negative effects this could have for the PSNI including;

-           Limited access to specialised operational teams in Great Britain that may be deployed in support of PSNI operations. This includes surveillance teams and staff involved in other covert tactics;

-          Limited access to NCA intelligence and information on matters that may be relevant to Northern Ireland;

-          Limited access to NCA tasking processes that enables NI priorities to be raised;

-          Limited access to NCA technical support for PSNI led operations;

-          Limited access to NCA international assets that enable rapid access to non-UK law enforcement agencies;

-          Limited access to NCA Child Exploitation Online Protection material, making it less likely that NCA will provide same level of service currently provided by SOCA;

-          Limited access to NCA Cybercrime capability;

-          No visibility for PSNI across NCA operations in Northern Ireland in relation to matters in the ‘reserved space’

This matter is far too important for Sinn Fein and the SDLP to be allowed to play politics with through the adoption of a self-serving ‘anti-British’ stance. The safety of our citizens should be paramount and the pressure is on the DUP to reign in their partners in OFMdFM.’