Naomi Long and Jim O’Callaghan were joined by PSNI deputy chief constable Bobby Singleton and Garda commissioner Drew Harris at the annual cross-border organised crime conference yesterday, which took place in Belfast for the first time.

The conference theme was “Defeating serious and organised crime through innovation and collaboration” and issues on the agenda included drugs, child criminal exploitation, paramilitaries and cybercrime.

Speaking as the conference got under way, Mrs Long said: “Tackling harms caused by organised crime is one of my top priorities and I am encouraged by the effective work being done to address these issues on both sides of the border.

“A shared and cross-border focus on the harms that our communities suffer at the hands of organised crime gangs is vital.

“Organised criminals are agile and innovative. They find new ways of exploiting people’s vulnerabilities for their own gain, and in turn, we must adapt in our collective response and ensure their actions will not go unchallenged.

“We all recognise the inextricable link between organised criminality and the particular issue of paramilitary harm that we experience here in Northern Ireland. Such an approach which focuses on harm, rather than its origin, will better place us to address these issues.”

Mr O’Callaghan said: “Targeting the work of organised crime groups, who inflict intimidation, violence and misery on families and communities, is a top priority for me as minister for justice.

“Those involved in organised criminality need to know that they will not be allowed to enjoy the profits of their illegal activity and, equally, I want communities to know that this will not be tolerated by society.

“The strong levels of co-operation that exist between the criminal justice agencies on this island is something to be proud of. We’ve seen examples recently where successful cross border co-operation between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI has led to arrests in murder cases and to a seizure of a large amount of drugs only in the last week.

“That collaboration at all levels should send a very clear message to organised criminals that the border is not something that can be exploited for criminal gain.”