Campaign against crime results in 12,000 arrests

MORE than 12,000 people have been arrested in a crackdown on organised crime.

Almost 1,000 firearms have been confiscated and €16 million worth of suspected stolen property has been recovered.

Figures for Dublin to February 11 show that since Operation Anvil was set up in May 2005:

7,488 arrests for serious crimes were made.

27,804 searches were conducted.

10,164 seizures were carried out.

49,900 checkpoints were performed.

“Operation Anvil has proved to be very successful in disrupting the criminal activities of a number of key criminal gangs,” Justice Minister Michael McDowell said.

“It has resulted in a number of high-profile arrests and the acquisition of intelligence on the movements of criminals.”

In the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR), there were 69 arrests for murder, 879 for serious assaults and 1,916 for burglary.

More than 20,000 drug searches and almost 1,500 firearms searches were carried out, with 630 guns confiscated. More than 16m worth of property was recovered.

Almost 50,000 checkpoints were set up and more than 9,500 vehicles seized.

Operation Anvil was extended beyond Dublin in 2006. Figures to January 28 show that 4,954 people were arrested and 315 firearms seized.

Mr McDowell said that outside Dublin, Operation Anvil took the form of a series of special operations, proposed by each regional commissioner.

The Tánaiste said that outside Dublin there was no comparable system in place.

He said he had “made it clear” to Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy that Operation Anvil would be continued to be funded as long as the commissioner considered it necessary.