CO-OPERATION URGED TO FIGHT MONEYLAUNDERING

International police co-operation is urgently needed to combat
organised crime, the head of the National Bureau of Criminal
Investigation said yesterday.

Det Chief Supt Sean Camon told delegates that a number of "small,
well-established and tightly structured groups" control organised
crime in Ireland.

But these gangs had "become increasingly active in the international
area". Foreign criminals had visited Ireland to make contacts and
Irish criminals living abroad had made international contacts.

"The nature of crime has also changed, with criminals becoming much
more violent and professional, thus resulting in more complex
investigations." One of the targets of organised crime gangs in recent
years had been stealing computer parts, Chief Supt Camon said. The
National Bureau of Criminal Investigation had set up a computer
investigation unit last year. As a result "IEP12 million worth of
stolen computer components have been recovered", he said.

"The number of organised crime groups in this country can be divided
into two general categories. The first is a small number of groups
which are well-established, tightly-structured, involved in drug
trafficking and armed robbery. Our second consists of criminal
associates who come together from time to time on an ad-hoc basis to
commit crime." Det Insp Terry McGinn, of the Garda Bureau of Fraud
Investigation, said the recent successful prosecution of Swiss
national Maria-Bernadette Jehle had "sent a message that Ireland will
not be used as a haven for money-laundering". Opening the two-day
conference Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty said the global drugs
trade was estimated to be worth $400 billion annually, with another
$100 billion earned in other types of crime, making an estimated $500
billion as the amount of money to be laundered annually.

"Money-launderers, unlike criminals who use them, do not leave dead or
drugged bodies in their wake." Their activities resulted in companies
backed by "crooked cash" being able to undercut honest companies. And
the crime of money-laundering "poses a great threat to Ireland, the
European community and broader society".

US Treasury Department Special Agent Stan Travers spoke about
money-laundering investigation and asset seizure. The US laws on
assets seizure are similar to recent Irish legislation, placing the
burden on suspected criminals to prove the assets are not the proceeds
of crime.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry