Belfast’s paramilitary gangs will spread grip - Lord Mayor

Alarming levels of paramilitary influence in the running of Belfast will spread, it was claimed tonight.

The city could be locked in the grip of the men who control republican and loyalist groups for at least a generation, Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers warned.

He said: ‘‘It will be a long hard slog before the evils of paramilitarism are finally eradicated.’’

Even though the IRA and most of the main Protestant paramilitary organisations are still officially on ceasefire, security chiefs and senior civil servants believe the groups are being heavily financed by extortion, blackmail and intimidation.

A city hall survey has revealed public concern that paramilitaries exercise more control over the city than the police and the Assembly.

Eight per cent of the 1,500 people questioned said terror had a major role in its affairs, ranking third behind Belfast City Council itself and the Department of the Environment.

Mr Rodgers said he was not surprised at the findings when more than a third of the city’s 51 councillors currently represent parties with links to paramilitaries.

‘‘There’s bound to be people who say that the paramilitaries run Belfast and some paramilitary groups have a very heavy hand in certain districts, so people in a face to face survey would admit to that.’’

He was concerned that paramilitaries were becoming increasingly ruthless to maintain their control.

Statistics released by the Northern Ireland Office revealed that punishment attacks last year were higher than 10 years ago.

‘‘Sadly, people in certain areas feel they have to go to the loyalist or republican paramilitaries when they have a problem,’’ he added.

Councillor David Ervine, of the Progressive Unionist Party, which has close links with the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force, said people should be relieved that the figure was only 8%.

‘‘We have a serious problem that will take many, many years to resolve. Paramilitary groups have their tentacles welded into the communities that they live in,’’ he said.

The East Belfast councillor said their stranglehold over working class areas would only be removed by the creation of political stability.

He said members of the community have been going to the paramilitaries for summary justice since the Troubles began.

‘‘I don’t advocate it. I want it stopped. Paramilitaries in my opinion don’t trawl the streets look for people to punish. It comes from the community.’’

Sinn Fein councillor for North Belfast Gerard Brophy called for a breakdown of the areas in which people said paramilitary influence was strong.

He claimed fewer people in republican areas of his constituency were going to the IRA seeking summary justice.

‘‘We need to know what it means by paramilitaries. Is there a bigger percentage going to the UDA in Tiger’s Bay than those going to the IRA in the New Lodge?

‘‘I would imagine there is because the UDA has a tight grip on its areas to keep up its racketeering and drug pushing.

‘‘Anybody who says that are surprised by the figures is a fool. We have had this for 30 years and it’s going to take another 30 years to go away,’’ he added.

The power of the paramilitaries was confirmed as police launched a major crackdown on criminals in south Belfast.

Several people were arrested in a series of planned searches of properties in an operation which also covered neighbouring Lisburn, Co Antrim, and the seaside town of Bangor, Co Down.

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Mains said: ‘‘This had been planned for some time. Criminal intelligence and crime analysts have been involved.’’

Last month detectives investigating crime in south Belfast arrested more than 100 people.

Some of them were thought to have paramilitary links, but the majority of those detained were believed to specialise in thieving and armed robbery.

Today’s arrest and search operation involved more than 100 uniformed officers, supplemented by detectives.

Mr Mains believed criminals were targeting south Belfast because of the area’s increasing affluence.

‘‘I think it’s part of the success in Belfast. We have more pubs and clubs. We have greater shops, we have people now wanting to come into Belfast.

‘‘Therefore that creates an opportunity for the organised criminal to take advantage of rich pickings.’’

The operation was welcomed by the area’s politicians.

But South Belfast Ulster Unionist MP Martin Smyth warned that the campaign against the criminals must continue.

‘‘Police resources must be increased to cut out the cancer of crime which has taken a widespread hold throughout South Belfast,’’ he added.

South Belfast SDLP Assembly member Carmel Hanna said it was disturbing that more than a third of armed robberies in Northern Ireland were carried out in her constituency.

‘‘There is clearly a need for the police to do more to address the problem and I believe that community policing should be seriously considered,’’ she added.

Police said tonight that during their day-long crackdown in the greater Belfast area 12 people had been arrested.

About 100 police officers were involved in the operation and more than 20 premises were visited and searched.

Those detained were being questioned about robberies, burglaries and carthefts in the area.

Police also seized a quantity of cannabis during the operation.