The E4A was an intelligence-gathering unit within 'E' Department of the

Royal Ulster Constabulary The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC)Richard Doherty, ''The Thin Green Line – The History of the Royal ...

, probably established in 1978. It was primarily made up of police officers who conducted surveillance to be acted on by RUC Special Branch (E4C). E4A was supported by the

Headquarters Mobile Support Unit The Headquarters Mobile Support Unit (HMSU) is the police tactical unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The HMSU was originally formed in the then Royal Ulster Constabulary part of RUC Special Branch, Special Branch and was involved in ...

(now part of

Special Operations Branch Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer Literature * ''Specia ...

) and targeted paramilitary groups, primarily the Provisional IRA.Coogan, Tim Pat (2002). ''The troubles: Ireland's ordeal, 1966-1996, and the search for peace''. Tim Pat Coogan. Palgrave Macmillan, p. 347.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:E4a Royal Ulster Constabulary 1978 establishments in Northern Ireland 2001 disestablishments in Northern Ireland Terrorism in Northern Ireland Counterterrorism in the United Kingdom