Freeze paramilitary assets, says Trimble

Labour conference: Northern Ireland

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David Trimble, the Ulster Unionist leader, demanded new Government action yesterday to starve Northern Ireland's paramilitary groups of funds.

During a visit to the Labour conference, he challenged ministers to match the decision to freeze assets held in Britain by Osama bin Laden and his associates. Mr Trimble said: "Paramilitary groups in the province receive substantial income from drug dealing, smuggling and racketeering."

About 80 organised crime groups are thought to operate in Northern Ireland. Half of them are suspected of having paramilitary links.

Mr Trimble called on the Treasury to "review those of its policies which give rise to such illegal activities". He said different tax levels between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland encouraged the smuggling of fuel and tobacco across the border.

"Gordon Brown and the Prime Minister cannot have failed to have noticed the coincidence between terrorism and the drugs trade," he said. "All of Northern Ireland's paramilitaries profit from hard drugs."