Former Tyrone county GAA player, Peter Loughran has faced drug charges following his arrest that reportedly came after an encrypted communication network was hacked.
The top-secret EncroChat system had been used by criminals to trade drugs and guns, and over 800 arrests across Europe were made after it was “successfully penetrated”, said the National Crime Agency.
In Northern Ireland the operation led to the seizure of 15 Encro phones, over £360,000 cash, and over 2.5kg of cannabis and personal use cocaine.
The system was decoded and intercepted by the NCA and other law enforcement organisations across the continent.
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45-year-old Loughran had reportedly been using EncroChat to sell drugs, and was charged with eight counts including supplying cocaine and herbal cannabis last month at Dungannon Magistrates Court.
The former athlete was on the bench when Tyrone lifted its first All-Ireland senior football championship in 2003.
Justice Minister Naomi Long welcomed the NCA’s work with police forces across the UK including the PSNI and said: “I am particularly pleased to read of the successes in Northern Ireland which also involved HMRC and I note the substantial seizures of cash and drugs. While the scale of organised crime is global, the harm caused by organised crime is wide reaching too.”
Today Minister Long launched two consultations - one seeking views on proposals for new organised crime offences for Northern Ireland and the other on a draft Organised Crime Strategy.
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She said: “The consultations I am launching today seek views on a range of proposals to reinforce the response to organised crime through the introduction of specific legislative provisions, including a statutory definition of serious organised crime and new offences of directing organised crime; participating in organised crime and provision for relevant offences aggravated by connection with organised crime.
“These new powers would ensure that law enforcement in Northern Ireland is able to avail of robust and appropriate legislative tools to investigate, disrupt, prosecute and bring to justice those involved in serious organised crime. I want to send a strong message to criminals that the harm they cause to individuals and communities within Northern Ireland will not be tolerated.”
The proposed new offences are part of a wider strategic approach to tackling serious organised crime set out in a new draft strategy, also being consulted upon, which has been developed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) following discussions with operational partners.
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Sources: BBC News, The Irish News
