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Minister Flanagan condemns recent spate of ATM robberies
- Expresses his determination that perpetrators face justice
- Highlights the cross border detection efforts
The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD, has strongly condemned the recent spate of robberies of ATMs around the border areas.
In the wake of the most recent incident, in which a cash machine was ripped from the wall of a filling station in Dungiven, Co Derry, he said: “These are not victimless crimes. It is clear that they have a significant impact on both businesses and communities wherever they occur and so it is imperative that they are stopped. Both An Garda Síochána and the PSNI are conducting investigations into these robberies and I am confident they will bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Making the point that the manner in which An Garda Síochána carry out criminal investigations is solely a matter for the Commissioner and his management team, the Minister nonetheless highlighted the strong ongoing co-operation between the Gardaí and the PSNI, which he pointed out, he expects to continue in the wake of Brexit.
The Minister added: “There is a joint Cross-Border Policing Strategy operated between the two services, which covers the range of policing activities and contains a series of initiatives in which both police services are actively engaged. Ensuring that this type of co-operation can continue into the future is a key priority for me and my Department, in any Brexit outcome.”
The Minister also pointed to other initiatives under which there is strong cooperation: “The Joint Agency Task Force established under the Fresh Start Agreement engages the two police services in a lead role (with other agencies) in structured strategic and operational co-operation in combating cross-border organised crime, while the Cross-Border Seminar on Organised Crime is an annual event. It is organised jointly by the two Justice Departments and the two police services and it focuses on co-operation and best practice in countering organised crime that seeks to exploit the border.“