Vol. 575 No. 1
202 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to Question No. 234 of 13 November, the number of criminal gangs in Dublin with affiliated members; the number of applications to the courts in 2002 under the proceeds of crime legislation; and the number of these that were drug related. [27877/03]
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the number of organised criminal groups is determined each year using the European Union definition of organised crime to compile the EU situation report on organised crime. The most recently completed report identified 17 major organised crime groups here. Approximately half of these groups operate in Dublin.
The Garda have further informed me about the activities of the Criminal Assets Bureau. While it is not the practice or policy to comment on particular operations carried out by CAB and other national units, a total of 26 orders were obtained by CAB under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 in 2002. They were as follows: interim orders under section 2(12); interlocutory orders under section 3(7); and receivership orders under section 7(7). Approximately half of the defendants in these cases were involved in drug trafficking.
Further details are available in the annual report of the Criminal Assets Bureau for 2002, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library.
