Loyalist terrorists target Scots banks

Police seized the LVF drugs in Antrim and Armagh. Now, desperate for cash, the organisation has begun raiding branches of the Northern Bank, the sister organisation of the Clydesdale Bank in Scotland.

However, the terrorists were forced to switch to Clydesdale Bank branches in Scotland because increased security and an elite police unit were putting them under too much pressure.

Executives at Northern Bank introduced a "smartwater" system, which sprays raiders with invisible liquid detected by ultra-violet light, while police formed an SAS-trained squad which, only two weeks ago, foiled another LVF raid in Armagh.

The leaders of the LVF, which is associated with Johnny Adair’s Ulster Freedom Fighters, decided to target Clydesdale branches because of their similarity to Northern Bank.

In recent weeks, five branches in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway have been hit by Irish gunmen backed up by Scots gangsters who, according to sources in Northern Ireland, gather intelligence for the terrorists.

Before and after the robberies - the worst series of raids in Scotland for a decade - the terrorists are sheltered in Lanarkshire by sympathisers.

In each of the attacks - the most recent was in Stewarton, Ayrshire, on Monday - the gunmen steal four and five-figure sums, allowing them to execute the raids in less than one minute, a classic modus operandi in Northern Ireland.

The detective in charge of investigating the four Ayrshire robberies confirmed that, when seeking a UK pattern for such crimes, the only comparable area was Northern Ireland.

"It is a major part of the inquiry," said Detective Superintendent Stephen Heath, who confirmed he is working with detectives in Northern Ireland.

The Stewarton robbery was identical to raids in Dalbeattie, Troon, Dalry and Newmilns. One or two men enter the bank with guns. In one raid, shots were fired, but no-one was hurt. A third man is the getaway driver.

The robbers have stolen around 150,000, similar to the proceeds that would be expected from similar raids in Northern Ireland, but it is a minuscule amount compared to the drug losses.

A loyalist source in the province said: "The LVF has been hit badly by seizures, one worth 2.3 million and another 500,000. In total, dealers of all persuasions have lost drugs worth 17 million. The pressure is on.

"The LVF is short of money for further deals and when paramilitaries are skint, they go back to robbing banks and post offices.

"But with a dwindling number of banks to raid, increased security and this police squad in the bushes, they’ve had to go further afield."

A police source in Northern Ireland said yesterday that there was little doubt the Scottish robberies were part of a "bigger picture".

The loyalist source added: "Just two weeks ago in Tandagree [in Armagh], two LVF guys were caught during a robbery. It led to the organisation’s most senior figures being lifted."

The LVF has been confirming and strengthening links with dealers in Glasgow and Lanarkshire. The most senior figure of the organisation, who travels Europe doing drug deals, regularly visits the Bellshill area of Lanarkshire.

The loyalist said: "It’s not about loyalism. It’s crime. Who’s to shoot at now? They don’t need money for kit [weapons]; they need it for drugs.

"The guys on the Scots raids have done it all before but they need help. Scots survey layout, streets, getaways. The actual gunmen couldn’t wave Northern Ireland accents about," the source added.

Det Super Heath said: "The Irish thing is a major part of the inquiry.

"They execute robberies within one minute. You don’t start at that level, so you’ve done it before - and when you research other robberies, the only place it’s been happening is Northern Ireland."

He added: "I feel there must be a local connection, to know exactly what you are doing when you get to small, unfamiliar towns.

"These have been difficult getaways - it’s high-risk, low-gain, which doesn’t leave a lot, forensically.

"The Northern Bank is associated with the Clydesdale, and they’ve had problems.

"We’re limited for crime scene capture when they are in and out so quickly."

And Jim Shannon, a unionist member of the legislative assembly in Northern Ireland, said the raids prove there is "an obviously dangerous crime gang picking vulnerable banks".

His colleague, Sammy Wilson MLA, is concerned that the terrorists, with no-one to fight, are now mere gangsters. The recent loyalist feud, in which three died, was over the drugs trade.

The loyalist source added: "The struggle is over - it’s common criminality."

Hardline approach to settlement

THE Loyalist Volunteer Force, a splinter of the Ulster Volunteer Force, was formed in 1996, but it was not until the following year, in February 1997, that it emerged publicly.

Composed of the more hardline members of the UVF, the new organisation was opposed to a political settlement with nationalists and launched attacks on Catholic and Protestant politicians who endorsed the peace process.

The organisation was led by Billy Wright, who was shot dead in the Maze prison in 1997, allegedly by three Irish National Liberation Army gunmen.

The LVF was responsible for vicious attacks, murdering Catholic civilians with no political or terrorist affiliation, including the killing of an 18-year-old girl in 1997 because her boyfriend was a Protestant.

LVF activities have also included bombings and kidnappings, as well as attacks against Republic of Ireland targets in border towns.

The organisation has observed a ceasefire since May 1998, and, in December that year, decommissioned a significant amount of weaponry.

However, in 2000, it threatened to resume killing Catholics, and was also engaged in a bloody feud with other loyalists in which three men died.

The LVF is understood to have a membership of 150 activists.