Loyalists remain involved in crime, drugs - IMC

There has been no change in the status of loyalist paramilitaries in the past six months, although there is some evidence of efforts to rein in criminality, the Independent Monitoring Commission said today.

In its eighth report, the IMC said the UDA, LVF and the UVF showed no signs of disbanding and remained heavily involved in criminality and drug dealing.

The report says 22 people were shot and eight others were assaulted by loyalists from the beginning of  September to the end of November last year.

The Ulster Defence Association (UDA), in particular, has been engaged in continuing paramilitary activity, including the murder of former member Jim Gray in October. Gray was shot dead while on bail after his arrest for money-laundering.

The IMC said UDA members also carried out a sectarian attack on a Catholic last September and UDA members remain involved in drug dealing, racketeering, extortion, robbery, money-laundering and the production and sale of counterfeit goods.

The organisation is blamed for orchestrating violent disorders at Whiterock in Belfast last September. During the rioting, more than 1,000 police officers and 1,000 soldiers were deployed to control up to 1,000 rioters.

Police said at least 50 live rounds were fired at PSNI officers by loyalist gunmen.

The IMC concludes the UDA, having actively engaged in the rioting and providing the weapons for attacking the police, only moved to quell the disorder once it felt it was getting out of hand. The report says the UDA worked with the UVF and Red Hand Commando to get the rioters off the streets.

"We give no credit to the UDA for trying to rein back on disorders which it had done so much to foster just because it found things had reached an unacceptable level.," the IMC says. "But we do nevertheless think that there are signs that some people within some parts of the organisation or associated with it want to steer the UDA away from violence and crime and into community development."

In the section dealing with the activities of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Red Hand Commando, the IMC notes the feud between the UVF and the LVF ended last August and there is no sign of it re-igniting.

Despite this, the UVF and RHC continue to carry out sectarian attacks on Catholics and ethnic minorities throughout Northern Ireland.

Senior UVF members were also involved in the Whiterock disturbances. were "During the course of the rioting, members were responsible for hijacking vehicles and for attacks on the police and military involving gunfire, blast bombs and petrol bombs," it says.

Criminality remains deeply ingrained in the organisation, the IMC says, but notes that elements within the leadership are trying to reduce crime,e specially drug-dealing. "We welcome this, and will watch with interest to see what happens."

Despite these positive steps, the IMC concludes that the UVF remains "a continuing and serious threat to the rule of law".

The report says it is believed the UDA and UVF "continue to aspire to acquire weapons", although it concedes it has no evidence they have been successful in doing so.

According to the report, the LVF is still "a deeply criminal organisation" that is heavily involved in organised crime, including drugs.

The LVF said in a statement last October that it planned to stand down its military units. However, the IMC says it has seen no evidence that this has taken place.

In conclusion, the IMC says loyalist groups have yet to take the route of the Provisional IRA and taken "the strategic decision to eschew terrorism and pursue a political path".

However, it says, "there are some early signs of change amongst loyalists which we hope to see taken much further."