'Unionists borrow Sinn Fein crib sheet after PSNI raid'

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 19th Oct 2004

EAST Belfast Councillor and Assembly member Naomi Long has congratulated the PSNI for an operation to crack down on counterfeiting in her constituency today.

Cllr Long also criticised unionist politicians for their comments about the Police operation, in which it was claimed there was an "exceptionally heavy police presence".

Cllr Long, who chairs East Belfast District Policing Partnership, stated:

"At a time when organised crime, particularly criminal enterprises run by paramilitaries, is causing such deep public concern, it is hard to see why unionist politicians are criticising the police for doing their job.

"I want to congratulate the police for their efforts to crack down on counterfeiting. It is no big secret that counterfeiting has been a useful means for paramilitaries to raise funds in the past, and even if this is 'just' a criminal enterprise, the police deserve to be praised, not pilloried.

"When I heard one unionist MLA complaining about the PSNI's handling of the operation on television earlier he sounded exactly like Sinn Féin politicians usually do when the police are doing their job.

"Rather than making pathetic excuses and giving off about the police, unionists should be demonstrating leadership and co-operating with them. If people have concerns about policing operations, the forum for this is the DPP or the Police Ombudsman's office."