The Organized Crime Index | ENACT
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Ireland
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    Profile

    Ireland

    Capital

    Dublin

    Gross domestic product (GDP)

    USD 504,183.00 million

    Income group

    High income

    Population

    5,033,165

    Area

    70,280 km²

    Geography type

    Coastal

    GINI Index

    29.2

    5.080.18

    Criminality score

    91st of 193 countries 4

    17th of 44 countries in Europe-2

    4th of 11 countries in Western Europe-2

    Criminal markets

    5.170.62

    An assessment of the value, prevalence and non-monetary impacts of a specific crime type.

    Human trafficking

    5.000.50

    Illicit activity involving coercion, deception, abduction or fraud for the purpose of exploitation, regardless of the victim’s consent.

    Human smuggling

    4.500.50

    Activities by an organized crime group involving the illegal entry, transit or residence of migrants for a financial or material benefit.

    Extortion and protection racketeering

    5.50 n/a

    Crimes linked to exerting control over a territory/market including as a mediator and/or requesting a benefit in exchange for protection.

    Arms trafficking

    4.000.00

    The sale, acquisition, movement, and diversion of arms, their parts and ammunition from legal to illegal commerce and/or across borders.

    Trade in counterfeit goods

    5.00 n/a

    The production, transport, storage and sale of goods that are fraudulently mislabeled or fraudulent imitations of registered brands.

    Illicit trade in excisable goods

    5.00 n/a

    The illicit transport, handling and sale of excise consumer goods despite a ban or outside a legal market. Excludes oil and counterfeits.

    Flora crimes

    2.000.00

    The illicit trade and possession of species covered by CITES convention, and other species protected under national law.

    Fauna crimes

    4.000.00

    The poaching, illicit trade in and possession of species covered by CITES and other species protected by national law. Includes IUU fishing.

    Non-renewable resource crimes

    5.500.50

    The illicit extraction, smuggling, mingling, bunkering or mining of natural resources and the illicit trade of such commodities.

    Heroin trade

    6.000.50

    The production, distribution and sale of heroin. Consumption of the drug is considered in determining the reach of the criminal market.

    Cocaine trade

    7.000.50

    The production, distribution and sale of cocaine and its derivatives. Consumption is considered in determining the reach of the market.

    Cannabis trade

    6.001.00

    The illicit cultivation, distribution and sale of cannabis oil, resin, herb or leaves. Consumption is used to determine the market's reach.

    Synthetic drug trade

    6.001.00

    The production, distribution and sale of synthetic drugs. Consumption is considered in determining the reach of the market.

    Cyber-dependent crimes

    6.00 n/a

    Organized crimes that rely solely on using information communications technology with the aim of obtaining a monetary/material benefit.

    Financial crimes

    6.00 n/a

    Organized crime that results in a monetary loss via financial fraud, embezzlement, misuse of funds, tax evasion and abusive tax avoidance.

    Criminal actors

    5.00-0.25

    An assessment of the impact and influence of a specific criminal actor type on society.

    Mafia-style groups

    6.500.50

    Clearly defined organized crime groups that usually have a known name, defined leadership, territorial control and identifiable membership.

    Criminal networks

    6.000.50

    Loose networks of criminal associates engaging in criminal activities who fail to meet the defining characteristics of mafia-style groups.

    State-embedded actors

    4.001.00

    Criminal actors that are embedded in, and act from within, the state’s apparatus.

    Foreign actors

    6.500.00

    State and/or non-state criminal actors operating outside their home country. Includes foreign nationals and diaspora groups.

    Private sector actors

    2.00 n/a

    Profit-seeking individuals/entities who own/control a part of the legal economy free from the state, that collaborate with criminal actors.

    7.33-0.04

    Resilience score

    21st of 193 countries 0

    15th of 44 countries in Europe0

    8th of 11 countries in Western Europe0

    Political leadership and governance

    7.000.00

    The State's role in responding to organized crime and its effectiveness. Strong political leadership/governance suggests higher resilience.

    Government transparency and accountability

    8.000.00

    The degree to which states have put oversight mechanisms in place to ensure against state collusion in illicit activities.

    International cooperation

    8.000.00

    A country's supranational structures and processes of interaction, policy making and concrete implementation to respond to organized crime.

    National policies and laws

    8.000.00

    A state's legal action and structures put in place to respond to organized crime.

    Judicial system and detention

    7.000.00

    Refers to a state’s judiciary’s power to effectively and independently enforce judgments on organized crime-related cases.

    Law enforcement

    7.000.00

    The state’s ability to investigate, gather intelligence, protect and enforce adherence to its rules and procedures against organized crime.

    Territorial integrity

    7.50-0.50

    The degree to which states are able to control their physical and cyber territory and infrastructure against organized criminal activities.

    Anti-money laundering

    8.000.00

    A state’s ability to implement measures to combat money laundering and other related threats to the integrity of its financial system.

    Economic regulatory capacity

    8.000.00

    The ability to control/manage the economy and regulate transactions (national and international) for trade to thrive within the rule of law.

    Victim and witness support

    7.000.00

    Assistance provided to victims of various forms of organized crime, including initiatives such as witness protection programs.

    Prevention

    5.500.00

    Refers to the existence of strategies, measures, resource allocation, programmes and processes that are aimed to inhibit organized crime.

    Non-state actors

    7.000.00

    The degree non-state actors are allowed to engage in OC responses and their roles in supporting State efforts/ as watchdogs to governments.

    7.33 5.00 5.17 7.33 5.00 5.17

    7.33-0.04

    Resilience score

    21st of 193 countries 0

    15th of 44 countries in Europe0

    8th of 11 countries in Western Europe0

    Political leadership and governance

    7.000.00

    The State's role in responding to organized crime and its effectiveness. Strong political leadership/governance suggests higher resilience.

    Government transparency and accountability

    8.000.00

    The degree to which states have put oversight mechanisms in place to ensure against state collusion in illicit activities.

    International cooperation

    8.000.00

    A country's supranational structures and processes of interaction, policy making and concrete implementation to respond to organized crime.

    National policies and laws

    8.000.00

    A state's legal action and structures put in place to respond to organized crime.

    Judicial system and detention

    7.000.00

    Refers to a state’s judiciary’s power to effectively and independently enforce judgments on organized crime-related cases.

    Law enforcement

    7.000.00

    The state’s ability to investigate, gather intelligence, protect and enforce adherence to its rules and procedures against organized crime.

    Territorial integrity

    7.50-0.50

    The degree to which states are able to control their physical and cyber territory and infrastructure against organized criminal activities.

    Anti-money laundering

    8.000.00

    A state’s ability to implement measures to combat money laundering and other related threats to the integrity of its financial system.

    Economic regulatory capacity

    8.000.00

    The ability to control/manage the economy and regulate transactions (national and international) for trade to thrive within the rule of law.

    Victim and witness support

    7.000.00

    Assistance provided to victims of various forms of organized crime, including initiatives such as witness protection programs.

    Prevention

    5.500.00

    Refers to the existence of strategies, measures, resource allocation, programmes and processes that are aimed to inhibit organized crime.

    Non-state actors

    7.000.00

    The degree non-state actors are allowed to engage in OC responses and their roles in supporting State efforts/ as watchdogs to governments.

    Analysis

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    People

    Ireland serves as both a transit and destination point for human trafficking. Flows involve a diverse group of countries of origin, from Africa, Asia and other European countries, but a prominence of victims from West Africa, Nigeria in particular, has been recorded in recent years. Victims are often controlled through debt bondage and are exploited for both sexual and labour purposes. Sex work is a prevalent form of sexual exploitation, with traffickers advertising their services on online marketplaces. Both foreign and domestic victims are affected, with those working in the fishing industry, agriculture, construction, domestic service, food production, garment manufacturing, and hospitality sectors being particularly vulnerable. Human trafficking is primarily conducted by foreign criminal networks, often with the help of corrupt employees at transit hubs such as ports or airports. Ireland has also seen an increase in human smuggling, with groups from Albania and Georgia smuggling people into the country for eventual transport to the UK. This increase is due to the post-Brexit tightening of free travel between the EU and the UK, as well as the exploitation of the Irish/UK common travel area by these groups. To enter Ireland from Northern Ireland, some individuals use forged Italian and Slovakian identity documents, as well as forged British passports.

    Extortion and protection racketeering are major concerns in Irish drug markets. Recent reports of direct and systemic cases involving such crimes, however, are limited in the country. Nevertheless, there are sporadic reports involving extortion activities carried out by mafia-style groups and paramilitary groups that have a history of involvement in the extortion of legitimate businesses in the country. The impact of these practices on the daily operations of such businesses might be significant.

    Trade

    Firearms are heavily regulated in Ireland due to the country's history of paramilitaries and the tradition of unarmed police. However, organized crime gangs still manage to smuggle firearms into and out of Ireland. There is a strong link between drug trafficking and firearms, with some drug dealers even renting firearms for intimidation purposes. Moreover, firearms are sometimes imported with drug consignments. Firearms for the Irish criminal market are primarily sourced from East European organized crime groups, with Moldova being a significant source.

    The trade of counterfeit goods is also prevalent in Ireland, with textile goods and pharmaceutical products being the most commonly counterfeited items. In addition, the illicit trade of excise goods, such as cigarettes, loose tobacco, and alcohol, has become increasingly common in Ireland due to continually rising taxes. Irish citizens residing in China have acted as brokers between manufacturers and wholesalers of counterfeit cigarettes and enterprises smuggling them into Ireland. Paramilitary groups in the country have also been identified as involved in tobacco and alcohol smuggling.

    Environment

    Although Ireland is not considered a significant market for illegal timber, it is still a destination for such products. The illegal timber trade appears to be carried out individually rather than being linked to organized crime. Conversely, fauna crimes are increasingly becoming a significant problem in Ireland, especially in the form of persecution of certain birds such as falcons, to protect commercial pheasant stocks and racing pigeons. The illegal poaching of other bird species as well as otters is also prevalent in the country, especially for their fur. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is also a serious problem in Ireland, with the wild Atlantic salmon being the most poached fish in the country. The authorities have warned that the country is in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, and freshwater fish are particularly at risk from IUU fishing activity.

    Fuel laundering, where the fuel is adulterated to be sold on the black market, is both a criminal and an environmental issue in Ireland and has been a source of financing for illegal paramilitary organizations. Diesel laundering creates sludge, which local authorities are left to dispose of, resulting in significant costs. Due to the rising fuel costs resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the illicit fuel trade has become much more lucrative. There are concerns that criminals will exploit this opportunity if fuel prices remain high. Additionally, there have been reports of gold smuggling involving Irish nationals.

    Drugs

    Ireland has the second highest number of opiate users in the EU, with heroin being the drug of choice for many. Half of the estimated users are males over 35 years old, and most are concentrated in Dublin's poorer areas. The heroin market in Ireland is linked to the market for synthetic drugs, such as benzodiazepines, with some users switching between drugs or using more than one. Cocaine use in Ireland has increased in recent years, and the country has become a transit point or destination for the drug, with significant seizures suggesting that Ireland is rapidly becoming part of the South American-European cocaine pipeline and a supply route to the UK, as well as supplying the internal markets north and south. The distribution networks are financed and enabled by transnational organized crime groups. In recent years, the number of young people treated for cocaine use more than doubled, highlighting that the cocaine problem worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the increased availability and consumption of crack cocaine have led to an increase in street violence in Dublin.

    Cannabis remains the most commonly used illegal drug in the country. While there has been a shift towards homegrown cannabis, significant amounts of cannabis products are still seized by authorities, including cannabis oil, plants, and processed forms. The cannabis market is less profitable than other drugs and has a wider range of actors, including home growers. There is a growing link between this market and human trafficking, as labour exploitation has become prevalent in the illicit cannabis production sector. Despite the market being less violent than other drug markets, it still poses societal impacts, and efforts are being made to address these issues.

    The use of MDMA (Ecstasy), LSD, and amphetamines has also increased in Ireland. The use of synthetic cathinones, a new class of synthetic drugs, has been a concern, and recent seizures by Revenue and Customs of a cathinone class synthetic have been reported by Irish news media. In addition to synthetics, synthetic cannabinoids have been found in hash/weed, low THC products, vape/liquid, and edible sweets, which have been linked to poisonings and deaths.

    Cyber Crimes

    Cybercrime is a significant issue in Ireland, with over half of these crimes being committed by organized groups. Companies experience cyber-dependent crimes at more than double the reported global average, which may be attributed to the country’s status as a hub for big tech companies. In addition to private sector actors, essential public infrastructure has been increasingly targeted in recent years by cybercriminals. Perpetrators carrying out such illegal activities range from individuals acting alone or in small groups engaged in nuisance type attacks to state-sponsored groups carrying out advanced and persistent attacks targeting critical infrastructure.

    Financial Crimes

    The prevalence of cyber-enabled financial crimes in Ireland has been increasing. In fact, over half of Irish companies reported being affected by these crimes in recent years. Local criminal groups with links to foreign actors have been identified as the perpetrators of business email compromise crimes and invoice redirection fraud. Victims are often lured in through methods commonly used in romantic fraud and then exploited through fictitious investment schemes or money mule operations. Authorities have also reported a significant increase in phishing efforts, which may be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and the distribution of stimulus packages in Ireland. These fraudulent activities not only affect businesses but also individuals.

    Criminal Actors

    In Ireland, several mafia-style groups engage in various illicit activities, such as drug trafficking, extortion, arms trafficking, wildlife crimes, and money laundering. These groups have identifiable leaders, and some have international links. The Kinahan gang, for instance, is the biggest wholesaler of drugs to Irish criminal gangs and is involved in importation and distribution in Ireland, the UK, and mainland Europe. Although gang-related murders have decreased in recent years, feuds over territory among these groups occur and sometimes result in assassinations. Paramilitary groups operating in Ireland have also been involved in criminal activities, including smuggling of drugs, oil, alcohol, and high-value goods, counterfeiting, and bank robbery. Some have engaged in vigilantism against drug dealers and petty criminals, while others seek to control communities and markets. The Irish forces' efforts have resulted in the dismantling of established national and transnational organizations, with many key players leaving Ireland and directing operations from abroad.

    Foreign actors, including gangs from Eastern Europe, have significant involvement in the criminal markets in the Republic of Ireland. They work closely with local criminal actors to facilitate human trafficking and human smuggling. Moreover, various diasporas, including Asian and Eastern European, are involved in the drug markets. Vietnamese criminal groups have a long history of involvement in cannabis cultivation in Ireland. Regarding smaller local criminal networks, there seem to be several drug feuds between rival groups in multiple cities, with an increase in violence between them. Some evidence suggests their involvement in the wildlife market, especially rhino horn smuggling, and non-renewables like marked fuel.

    While there is currently no evidence of collusion between the state and criminal markets, individuals linked to a main political party in Ireland are widely seen as moving into organized crime during and after the peace process. The involvement of private sector actors in criminal activities is rare in the country with only occasional and isolated incidents occurring historically.

    Leadership and governance

    The Irish government has taken a strong stance against organized crime, with law enforcement institutions proactively investigating and prosecuting top-tier organized crime groups involved in murder, drug trafficking, and money laundering. Political parties in the country prioritize tackling gangland shootings, but local communities in affected areas fear for their safety and feel unprotected by the state, especially in financially constrained rural communities. To prevent, investigate, and prosecute corruption, the Irish government has established several institutions. However, the newly established anti-corruption unit has few staff members, and its prevention mandate is unclear. Public perceptions of corruption remain high, influenced by past and recent cases of government corruption, such as in the provision of personal protective equipment during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Ireland is committed to multilateralism and has signed and ratified several organized crime treaties. The country cooperates with Interpol and Europol to combat human trafficking and allows extradition for investigation if the charged offence is punishable by at least a year's imprisonment. The Irish state has implemented a strong legislative package to tackle organized crime. However, definitional issues surrounding organized crime have led to criminals being prosecuted for specific crimes rather than for organized crime itself. Still, the legislation has proven to be constitutional, strong, and viable.

    Criminal justice and security

    Ireland's Special Criminal Court, which presides over organized crime cases, lacks transparency in the appointment process and has no formal code of conduct for judges. Currently, the new justice plan seeks to improve processing and efficiency in managing mutual assistance requests, European arrest warrants, and extradition. In addition, the prison system is facing a significant surge in the prison population, resulting in overcrowding. Despite education and rehabilitation programmes in Irish prisons, the continual sentencing of men and women to short-term custody is undermining the Irish Prison Service's ability to meet fundamental standards. Ireland has specialist law enforcement units that focus on organized crime-related issues. Public trust in the police remains high despite some recent high-profile scandals. To address concerns of organized crime infiltration, anti-corruption measures were introduced, including a hotline to report corruption. Overall, the policing ability to effectively respond to organized crime is effective. However, there is a lack of a coordinated national approach based on government awareness and analysis to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement to remain ahead of organized crime activities.

    Ireland faces challenges in policing its long coastline and border with the UK, which is used by international criminal groups. Illicit trade mainly occurs through ports and airports, with historical and ongoing smuggling problems along the porous border with Northern Ireland. The smuggling threat has increased with Brexit and the debate surrounding a hard border. Additionally, Ireland's status as a destination country for human smuggling/trafficking has expanded to making it a transit country post-Brexit, with human smugglers/traffickers exploiting the free border crossing between the Republic and Northern Ireland.

    Economic and financial environment

    Ireland's policy in preventing money laundering is fairly robust and involves a risk-based approach that establishes different levels of due diligence. Although Ireland has upgraded its anti-money laundering framework by focusing on gatekeepers, experts fear that the cases of money laundering that have been discovered may represent only the tip of the iceberg. The use of crypto-assets for money laundering is also an increasing concern for Ireland. Nevertheless, Ireland is overall considered a low-risk country for financial crimes.

    In terms of its economic environment, Ireland is considered a wealthy country with low taxes, making it a supportive regime for start-up businesses. However, companies express insufficient confidence in the efficiency of the legal framework concerning the settling of disputes and challenging of regulations. Yet, the overall economic environment is considered effective in mitigating organized crime.

    Civil society and social protection

    In Ireland, victims of human trafficking can access a range of services provided by the government and NGOs, including health services, legal aid, and access to education. However, few identified trafficking victims enter the National Referral Mechanism for assistance. NGOs often must use the legal system to protect victims' rights, but access to legal services is limited. While the government provides funding to NGOs for victim assistance, the services available from the government's Legal Aid Board are inadequate for victims' needs. The witness support programme operates in secrecy to avoid interference that could jeopardize the witnesses' security.

    The Irish government has implemented multiple units and strategies to prevent various crimes, including human trafficking, financial crime, organized crime, and drug and alcohol use. Regarding drug use, Ireland takes a health-led, person-centred, whole-of-government approach that aims to promote health and well-being and minimize the harms caused by addiction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid users were provided with individual accommodation for shielding, which facilitated access to medication and other forms of therapy. Moreover, the Gardai community policing strategy aims to prevent crime by focusing on problem-solving, law enforcement, and building trust within the community. However, lack of funding has hindered the full implementation of this strategy.

    Ireland has a free press with increased media pluralism. Nevertheless, defamation reform delays continue to restrict press freedom. While some Irish journalists conducting investigative journalism on organized crime have reported threats to their safety, no significant cases have been reported in recent years. Although the fight against organized crime in Ireland is primarily the responsibility of the state, civil society actors and NGOs are actively involved in national efforts.

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    The criminal markets score is represented by the pyramid base size and the criminal actors score is represented by the pyramid height, on a scale ranging from 1 to 10. The resilience score is represented by the panel height, which can be identified by the side of the panel.

    How to measure organized crime?

    A series of 13 discussion papers, one for each illicit market considered during the development of the Index.

    Read more on globalinitiative.net
    How to measure organized crime?

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    This report was funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of State.

    ENACT is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Institute for Security Studies and INTERPOL, in affiliation with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

    The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.