Secret identities may be given to a new team of crimefighters planning a major crackdown on Northern Ireland's most dangerous gangsters, it emerged today.
Assets Recovery Agency chief Mr Alan McQuillan is recruiting 15 staff to help him hunt down and seize the illegal wealth of paramilitary bosses and other racketeers.
The British government unit is set to start working out of undisclosed headquarters in Belfast later this month and the former deputy chief constable vowed to protect them from risk.
He said: "Some of the people we are going after are among the worst people in society and the issue of security is of critical importance.
"There's provision for the team to use pseudonyms and we have to work through how we are going to do that."
Up to 80 crime organisations are thought to be operating in Northern Ireland, with half of them linked to paramilitaries.
The agency will also be targeting smugglers who regularly ship in millions of pounds worth of illegal fuel, tobacco and alcohol and others involved in major counterfeiting, racketeering and extortion operations.
Building industry cheats and other so-called white collar criminals are to be investigated as well.
Mr McQuillan was appointed to lead the fight after stepping down as deputy to chief constable Hugh Orde in Belfast.
His team will be drawn from ex-police, financial investigators, lawyers and Customs officials.
Once new laws come into effect later this month, they will have powers to trawl through suspects' bank accounts and tax returns.
Along with national director Jane Earl, he plans to study the Dublin Government's Criminal Assets Bureau, which has already confiscated millions of euros.
He predicted that many of those about to come under his scrutiny may decide to quit rather than target his team.
"Many of the top criminals in the Republic cut and run," he said.
"There will be people who will decide to call it a day and others who will try to move their assets abroad."
PA