Gallaher want NI meeting on cigs security

A leading tobacco firm today requested an urgent meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy to discuss security for its lorries along the border with the Republic.

A spokeswoman for Gallaher’s, which has a factory in Ballymena in Northern Ireland, confirmed the request was made following the hijacking of a lorry last December carrying cigarettes with a retail value of over £1m (€1.4m).

Ulster Unionist MP David Burnside yesterday called on Northern Ireland police chief Hugh Orde to make a public statement on whether the border area had become “a no-go zone” for companies like Gallaher’s.

The South Antrim MP urged Mr Orde to tackle Sinn Féin during St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the White House tomorrow about the hijacking of Gallaher’s vehicles, allegedly by the IRA.

A Gallaher’s spokeswoman said: “We have requested a meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and have, as yet, not heard any response.

“The request for the meeting follows the hijacking in December of one of our vehicles.

“We had discussions with the Police Service of Northern Ireland but had no guarantees for the safe movement of our cigarettes over the border.

“We will be discussing for more security resources to be allocated to the border area.”

The IRA has long been accused of involvement in the black market cigarette trade.

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has also accused republicans of involvement in criminal activity around Dublin port.

The Progressive Democrat minister also angered senior Sinn Féin figures when he claimed members of the party had been involved in IRA criminal operations.