Crime crackdown - Impressive returns

ANY doubts about the effectiveness of Operation Anvil, the nationwide crackdown on serious crime, are well and truly scotched by the latest statistics from the Garda Síochána.

While a lot of money, almost €100 million mainly in overtime pay, has gone towards the operation, the returns are impressive. Over three years, 50,819 searches were carried out for drugs, 122 arrests were made in murder cases, and stolen property worth almost e28m has been recovered.

And when gun law appears to reign in some notorious urban black spots, decent, law-abiding citizens will welcome the fact that more than 1,600 firearms have been recovered so far in this worthwhile crackdown on crime.