The confiscation of almost €300,000 from two Dublin criminals last week was accompanied by worrying revelations about extortion in the city. When the victimised companies agreed to pay O’Driscoll and Reilly fees for “fence maintenance” – a euphemism for protection money – the attacks stopped. Dublin City Council released a statement saying it had never paid protection money. Listening to victims and handling information supplied by them discreetly is crucial in responding to a crime like extortion. Turning a blind eye and leaving companies to pay threatening gangland criminals protection money is not acceptable.

Source: The Irish Times October 13, 2019 23:03 UTC