The Ulster Unionist Party’s Justice spokesperson, Tom Elliott MP, has welcomed the fact that the National Crime Agency (NCA) is now fully operational within Northern Ireland and targeting criminal assets. 

Mr Elliott said:

"Today is a good day for all those in Northern Ireland who value and support law and order, as the National Crime Agency finally has its powers extended to Northern Ireland.

“Organised criminal gangs who operate or are based in Northern Ireland now know that they are liable to be targeted and have their illegal operations disrupted by what has been described as the British FBI.

“The NCA was established in October 2013 and its own website describes it as ‘a new crime-fighting agency with both national and international reach and the mandate and powers to work in partnership with other law enforcement organisations to bring the full weight of the law to bear in cutting serious and organised crime.’

“Now that it is operational in Northern Ireland we have thwarted the prospect of Northern Ireland becoming a safe haven for criminal gangs to ply their trade and use the Province as a base to conduct criminal activities in the rest of the UK.

“From today the full powers of law enforcement will be implemented here and end the situation whereby Northern Ireland was more vulnerable to serious and organised criminal gangs who engage in activities such as people trafficking, drugs, cyber-crime and child exploitation.

“This will be welcomed by all law abiding citizens who want to see our communities protected from criminal gangs and I know that the resources of the NCA will provide invaluable support to the PSNI. The Ulster Unionist Party wishes them every success.”