Illegal movement of cattle across Irish border led to 2004 probe, files show

An investigation was launched into the illegal movement of cattle across the Irish border in 2004, declassified files have shown.

The files show that Irish officials believed that cattle stolen from a livestock mart in the south west of Ireland had been fraudulently transported to Northern Ireland.

The North South Ministerial Council had set up a sub-group to examine cross-border fraud.

Irish official Brendan Gleeson wrote to Elizabeth Sperber, of the European Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) in the European Commission, about the issue.

He said there had been concerns over “unscrupulous operators” switching ear tags on cattle but it “had not been possible to amass sufficient evidence to prove a case”.

He said: “In early 2004, arising from an investigation of a consignment of cattle stolen from a livestock mart in the south west of Ireland, the Irish authorities uncovered information leading them to believe that these cattle had been transported illegally to a holding in Northern Ireland.

“This intelligence was shared with the authorities in Northern Ireland and a follow-up investigation of a number of premises in Northern Ireland was carried out by the police authorities in Northern Ireland and a Central Enforcement team from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.”

He said the stolen cattle were not recovered but authorities in Northern Ireland uncovered a quantity of used ear tags from both jurisdictions as well as Irish cattle passports.

Mr Gleeson said that authorities on both sides of the border were “very satisfied with the outcome of the joint investigation”.

He added: “The Irish authorities are in the process of examining the papers to assess whether there are sufficient grounds for prosecution in respect of the activities carried out within our jurisdiction.

“We understand that the authorities in Northern Ireland are also initiating prosecutions.”