She was speaking after having joined law enforcement agencies north and south at a major cross-border organised crime conference held in Belfast for the first time ever.

She met with Jim O’Callaghan TD alongside Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton and Commissioner Drew Harris, and has highlighted how a collaborative approach is thwarting organised crime gangs.

Minister Long has 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.

“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. A shared and cross-border focus on the harms that our communities suffer at the hands of organised crime gangs, such as drugs, child criminal exploitation, paramilitarism and cybercrime, is vital.

“Organised criminals are agile and innovative. They constantly 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.”