NI criminals using charities to hide ill-gotten gains

Organised criminals in the North are using charities to launder their money, according to the British government's Northern Ireland Office (NIO).

An official NIO memo put before a Westminster committee yesterday said the charities involved were small and specialised and some were linked to current and former paramilitary groups.

The British government is planning to tackle the problem through the establishment of a Charity Commission in the North.