, headquarters =
Harcourt Street
Harcourt Street is a street located in Dublin City, Ireland.
Location
It is a little over in length with its northerly start at the south-east corner of St Stephen's Green and terminates in the south at the point where Adelaide road become ...
, Dublin (D2)
, formed =
as the Criminal Investigation Department
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes detectives belong in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations. A force's CID is distinct from its Special Branch (though officers of b ...
(CID)
, preceding1 = Garda Special Branch
, preceding2 =
, jurisdiction =
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, employees = Undisclosed
~ 300
, budget = Undisclosed
(part of ''Garda Síochána'' budget, €1.34 billion in 2014)
, minister1_name =
Helen McEntee
Helen McEntee (born 8 June 1986) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Justice from June 2020 to November 2022. From April to November 2021, she became a minister without portfolio during a period of maternity leave ...
,
TD
, minister1_pfo =
Minister for Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
, chief1_name =
Drew Harris
, chief1_position =
Garda Commissioner
The Garda Commissioner ( ga, Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána) – officially known as the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána – is the head of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. The Garda Commissione ...
, chief2_name = John O'Mahoney
, chief2_position =
Assistant Commissioner of
Crime and Security
, parent_agency =
Crime & Security Branch![Badge of An Garda Síochána](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Badge_of_An_Garda_S%C3%ADoch%C3%A1na.svg)
''
Garda Síochána
(; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gover ...
''
, website
Official website
The Special Detective Unit (SDU) ( ga, Aonad Speisialta Bleachtaireachta) is the main domestic
security agency
A security agency is a governmental organization that conducts intelligence activities for the internal security of a nation. They are the domestic cousins of foreign intelligence agencies, and typically conduct counterintelligence to thwart other ...
of the ''
Garda Síochána
(; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gover ...
'', the national police force of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, under the aegis of the
Crime & Security Branch (CSB). It is the primary
counter-terrorism
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or el ...
and
counter-espionage
Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or o ...
investigative unit within the state. The Special Detective Unit superseded the Special Branch (which they are still commonly referred to as), which itself replaced the older
Criminal Investigation Department
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes detectives belong in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations. A force's CID is distinct from its Special Branch (though officers of b ...
(CID), which was founded in 1921. They work in conjunction with the
Defence Forces The phrase Defence Force(s) (or Defense Force(s) in US English - see spelling differences) is in the title of the armed forces of certain countries and territories.
Defence forces
* Ambazonia Defence Forces
*Artsakh Defence Army
* Australian Defen ...
Directorate of Military Intelligence (J2) – Ireland's national
intelligence service
An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objectives.
Means of informatio ...
– on internal matters. The unit's headquarters are in
Harcourt Street
Harcourt Street is a street located in Dublin City, Ireland.
Location
It is a little over in length with its northerly start at the south-east corner of St Stephen's Green and terminates in the south at the point where Adelaide road become ...
,
Dublin City.
The
Emergency Response Unit
An Emergency Response Unit is a name for a law enforcement or other civil government entity that is trained and equipped to respond quickly to emergency situations. In some instances, such a designation is given to a Special Weapons and Tactics uni ...
(ERU), a specialist armed tactical unit, was a division of the SDU until 2017 when the
Special Tactics and Operational Command
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 ...
took over command of the unit.
History
The Civic Guard was formed by the
Provisional Government
A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, or a transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition generally in the cases of a newly formed state or f ...
in February 1922 to take over the responsibility of policing the fledgling
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between th ...
. The
Garda Síochána (Temporary Provisions) Act 1923 enacted after the creation of the Irish Free State on 8 August 1923, provided for the creation of "a force of police to be called and known as 'The .
Separate from the Gardaí, a Protection Officers Corps was set up to provide bodyguards for prominent treatyites during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. There was also a more secretive body called the Citizens Defence Force, responsible directly to Kevin O’Higgins and funded through the offices of Arthur Cox. In charge of it was a Captain Henry Harrison, an Englishman who had been a meddler in Irish politics for many years. The exact function of this force remains unclear but some believe responsible for the unsolved disappearance of a number of prominent Republicans at that time. The remains of one of them, Noel Lemass, was discovered by accident years afterwards; secretly buried in the Dublin Mountains.
Oriel House
Oriel House (previously known as Oriel Court) is a hotel in the west end of the town of Ballincollig, County Cork, Ireland. It was built early in the 19th century to house administrating officers of the Ballincollig Gunpowder Mills site.
Hostin ...
was taken over and became a much-feared interrogation centre. The Oriel House team, about 80-strong, was accused of using brutal interrogation techniques and of the assassination of republican suspects and prisoners. A study of the period concluded, 'Oriel House succeeded in its task of suppressing small scale republican activities in the Dublin area, not by the sophistication and efficiency its intelligence work... but by the more direct method of striking terror into its opponents. They were disbanded after the Civil War: supposedly because of squeamishness on the part of
Kevin O’Higgins
Kevin Christopher O'Higgins ( ga, Caoimhghín Críostóir Ó hUigín; 7 June 1892 – 10 July 1927) was an Irish politician who served as Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for Justice from 1922 to 1927, Minister for External ...
; but a core was retained as G-division of the
Dublin Metropolitan Police
The Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it was amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána.
History
19th century
The Dublin city police had been subject to major reforms in 1786 and ...
: the G-men, headed by ex-RIC Inspector David Neligan.
In 1926, after the DMP had been amalgamated with the Gardaí, this unit was renamed the Special Branch in imitation of English nomenclature.
Duties
The responsibilities of the ''Garda Síochána'' Special Detective Unit include;
* The investigation of threats to
state security and the monitoring of persons and organisations who pose a threat on both national and international fronts
* Counter-terrorism operations (specifically targeting
dissident republican
Dissident republicans, renegade republicans, anti-Agreement republicans or anti-ceasefire republicans ( ga, poblachtach easaontach) are Irish republicans who do not support the current peace agreements in Northern Ireland. The agreements follow ...
s and
Islamic extremists
Islamic extremism, Islamist extremism, or radical Islam, is used in reference to extremist beliefs and behaviors which are associated with the Islamic religion. These are controversial terms with varying definitions, ranging from academic unde ...
)
*
Counter-intelligence
Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ot ...
* Armed response to serious incidents
* Security for movement of weapons, ammunition, and large
cash-in-transit shipments
* Operation of the
Witness Security Programme
* Presidential, ministerial and diplomatic protection,
physical security
Physical security describes security measures that are designed to deny unauthorized access to facilities, equipment and resources and to protect personnel and property from damage or harm (such as espionage, theft, or terrorist attacks). Physica ...
for visiting VIPs
SDU
bodyguard
A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...
s accompany the
President of Ireland
The president of Ireland ( ga, Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Republic of Ireland, Ireland and the supreme commander of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces.
The president holds office for seven years, and can ...
,
Michael D. Higgins
Michael Daniel Higgins ( ga, Mícheál Dónal Ó hUigínn; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, and broadcaster, who has served as the ninth president of Ireland since November 2011. Entering national politics throug ...
, on official visits in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and internationally, and the
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
,
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
, is protected by a Close Protection detail from the SDU. Full-time armed protection and transport is afforded to; the
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Taoi ...
,
Minister for Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
,
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
,
Chief Justice,
Director of Public Prosecutions and
Garda Commissioner
The Garda Commissioner ( ga, Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána) – officially known as the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána – is the head of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. The Garda Commissione ...
. All government ministers and former Presidents and Taoisigh are provided with armed protection and transport when their security is deemed under threat, otherwise it is reserved for official state occasions.
Ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
s and high-ranking foreign diplomats in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
are given protection by the SDU when their safety or security is "at risk". High-risk foreign diplomatic premises are also protected by the unit, such as the
embassies
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...
and diplomatic residences of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
in Dublin.
Gardaí use five levels to grade the international
terror threat level for Ireland; low, moderate, substantial, severe and critical. The gradings are based on a series of factors, including information supplied by international authorities. The current level is considered to be moderate, meaning an attack is "possible, but not likely".
Organisational structure
The Special Detective Unit operates out of the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) Headquarters of the Gardaí in Harcourt Street, Dublin, and has personnel in all six Garda regions (DMR, Eastern, Northern, Southern, South-Eastern and Western). The unit has a number of secret buildings which it uses for covert operations. The SDU has a strength of between 200 and 300
plainclothes detectives, and a further 100 officers attached to the Emergency Response Unit. The agency is headed by a
Detective Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces, especially in those organised on the British model.
Rank insignia of chief superintendent
File:Sa-police-chief-superintendent.png, South Australia Police
File:RCMP Chief Superintendent.png ...
, who is under the command of the
Assistant commissioner in charge of the
Crime & Security Branch (CSB), who reports directly to the Garda Commissioner. The Garda Commissioner briefs the
Minister for Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
,
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
and the
National Security Committee (NSC) on
state security matters.
The SDU uses anti-terrorism legislation (chiefly the
Offences against the State Acts) to conduct operations, and uses the non-jury
Special Criminal Court
The Special Criminal Court (SCC; ga, Cúirt Choiriúil Speisialta) is a juryless criminal court in Ireland which tries terrorism and serious organised crime cases.
Legal basis
Article 38 of the Constitution of Ireland empowers the Dáil to ...
to prosecute terrorism offenders. The SDU is a highly secretive organisation that does its utmost to stay out of the media spotlight, and when officers from the unit appear in court they routinely give evidence anonymously from behind a screen to protect their identity. All officers within the unit carry firearms, and train more often than regular police detectives. All officers are armed with concealed
semi-automatic pistol
A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actuall ...
s, and if the situation requires, they have access to
shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
s,
submachine gun
A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an autom ...
s,
assault rifles and
sniper rifle
A sniper rifle is a high-precision, long-range rifle. Requirements include accuracy, reliability, mobility, concealment and optics for anti-personnel, anti-materiel and surveillance uses of the military sniper. The modern sniper rifle is a por ...
s. The SDU has a large pool of unmarked and armoured cars, and has access to helicopters if needed.
The budget for the SDU is classified, although it is drawn from the overall Garda budget (€1.34 billion in 2014). The only published figures are those for the budget to pay
confidential informants, via the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) system. The fund used to pay informers is known as the "Secret Service" budget, and it is shared between the Crime & Security Branch and
Directorate of Military Intelligence. In 2014, it was €1 million. Although the service's jurisdiction is the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
, officers from the unit have been active in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, a region which is officially part of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
In 2013, Ireland had the fourth highest number of arrests for terrorism-related offences in the entire
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, with 41 individuals arrested, behind only France (225), Spain (90) and the United Kingdom (77), according to
Europol. The average prison sentence for a person convicted under terrorism legislation in Ireland was 12 years in 2013, the third highest in the EU, behind
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
(27 years) and Spain (14 years).
Emergency Response Unit
![Garda EMU](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Garda_EMU.png)
The Garda
Emergency Response Unit
An Emergency Response Unit is a name for a law enforcement or other civil government entity that is trained and equipped to respond quickly to emergency situations. In some instances, such a designation is given to a Special Weapons and Tactics uni ...
(ERU) is the national armed tactical intervention unit of the Gardaí, and a former subsection of the Special Detective Unit. The ERU's manpower is approximately 100 full-time officers, who are trained and equipped for a range of situations which other Garda units may be unable to deal with. The SDU and ERU carry out joint operations.
Counter-Terrorism International
The Garda
Counter-Terrorism International (CTI) unit was established in 2014 as a dedicated section of the SDU to identify and monitor
Islamic terrorism
Islamic terrorism (also known as Islamist terrorism or radical Islamic terrorism) refers to terrorist acts with religious motivations carried out by fundamentalist militant Islamists and Islamic extremists.
Incidents and fatalities f ...
threats and share intelligence with international security and law enforcement agencies on this issue. The Garda CTI has up to 50 full-time members who operate over 5 shifts. This section has its own surveillance teams and informants, and reports directly to the Garda Commissioner. The Counter-Terrorism Domestic (CTD) section deals with
homegrown terrorism
Homegrown may refer to any plants grown in a domestic setting. It may also refer to:
Music
*Home Grown, an American rock band formed in 1994
* ''Home Grown'' (Geri Allen album), 1985
* ''Homegrown'' (Dodgy album), 1995
* ''Home Grown'' (Blue Mou ...
.
Hostage Negotiation Section
The Garda Hostage Negotiation Section (HNS), officially formed in 2007, is a subdivision of the Garda SDU. It is headed by an experienced
Detective Superintendent
Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territories ...
, who cannot be identified for operational reasons. The senior HNS officer along with the Garda National Negotiator Co-Ordinator (NNC) are involved in the selection, training and coordination of the more than 70 specialist Garda negotiators stationed in all divisions in the country. Officers under the command of this section are not necessarily Special Branch detectives. Negotiators are educated at the
Garda Síochána College
Garda Síochána College is the education and training college of the Garda Síochána (Irish police service). It is located at McCan Barracks, Templemore, County Tipperary in Ireland. The college has been in Templemore since 1964.
History
Th ...
,
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
,
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
(FBI) and the Central Mental Hospital (
HSE National Forensic Mental Health Service).
Witness Security Programme
The Garda Witness Protection Unit is a small, dedicated and highly secretive subsection of the SDU, which operates the state's
Witness Security Programme, at the direction of the
Attorney General of Ireland
The Attorney General of Ireland ( ga, An tArd-Aighne) is a constitutional officer who is the legal adviser to the Government and is therefore the chief law officer of the State. The attorney general is not a member of the Government but does pa ...
. The unit (established in 1997) is headed by a Detective Inspector, and further reinforcements can be drawn from the Special Branch when there is a need. The Garda ERU provide tactical assistance to the programme. The budget for the unit was €1.198 million in 2014. Witnesses in the programme are given a new identity, address and armed police protection either in Ireland or abroad. There has never been a reported breach of security in which a protectee was harmed.
Operations
The Special Detective Unit works closely with other specialist and national units within the ''Garda Síochána'', namely the
National Surveillance Unit (NSU) – a police
intelligence gathering
This is a list of intelligence gathering disciplines.
HUMINT
Human intelligence (HUMINT) are gathered from a person in the location in question. Sources can include the following:
* Advisors or foreign internal defense (FID) personnel wor ...
agency – and the heavily armed intervention teams of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU). The Special Detective Unit works with the
National Economic Crime Bureau
The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB; formerly Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation/GBFI) – informally known as the ''Fraud Squad'' – is a specialised division of Ireland's national police force, the Garda Síochána, that investi ...
(GNECB) in relation to
financial intelligence
Financial intelligence (FININT) is the gathering of information about the financial affairs of entities of interest, to understand their nature and capabilities, and predict their intentions. Generally the term applies in the context of law enfo ...
and
terrorism financing
Terrorism financing is the provision of funds or providing financial support to individual terrorists or non-state actors.
Most countries have implemented measures to counter terrorism financing (CTF) often as part of their money laundering la ...
. The Defence Forces
Directorate of Military Intelligence – Ireland's national intelligence agency – shares intelligence, trains with and carries out joint operations with the unit. The SDU has historically operated in tandem with American, British and other European law enforcement agencies in combating terrorists and foreign government threats. They maintain a strong working relationship with the
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ga, Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ')
is the police, police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabu ...
(PSNI), London
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
(MPS, or 'the Met'), British
Security Services (MI5) and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
(FBI), among others, and share information with
Europol and
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
.
An MI5 unit based at the regional headquarters (Palace Barracks) in
Holywood
Holy Wood or Holywood may refer to:
Places
* Holywood, County Down, a town and townland in Northern Ireland
** Holywood, County Down (civil parish), a civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland
** Holywood railway station (Northern Ireland)
* ...
,
County Down
County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...
, in Northern Ireland works with both the PSNI and Gardaí to track the activities of domestic and foreign terrorist threats, and in 2008 this led to the discovery of a suspected
al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
bomb making factory in
County Kerry
County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
, where three people were arrested, some of whom had previously been under surveillance by the Special Detective Unit's Middle Eastern Bureau and National Surveillance Unit.
SDU officers have conducted operations alongside Irish Military Intelligence, the United States'
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
(CIA) and FBI in monitoring, arresting and prosecuting suspected al-Qaeda extremists using
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
as a launchpad for terror attacks on
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and the US. The agency was involved in foiling several radical Islamic militants in
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
suspected of plotting to assassinate Swedish cartoonist
Lars Vilks
Lars Endel Roger Vilks (20 June 1946 – 3 October 2021) was a Swedish visual artist and activist who was known for the controversy surrounding his drawings of Muhammad. He also created the sculptures ''Nimis'' and ''Arx'', made of driftwood an ...
in 2009, in response to an
al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI; ar, القاعدة في العراق, al-Qā'idah fī al-ʿIrāq) or Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia ( ar, القاعدة في بلاد الرافدين, al-Qā'idah fī Bilād ar-Rāfidayn), officially known as ''Tanzim Qaidat a ...
bounty after the
Muhammad drawings controversy, working with British and American intelligence agencies.
In 2010, the Special Detective Unit, Garda
Bureau of Fraud Investigation
The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB; formerly Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation/GBFI) – informally known as the ''Fraud Squad'' – is a specialised division of Ireland's national police force, the Garda Síochána, that investig ...
(GBFI) and
Criminal Assets Bureau
The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) ( ga, An Biúró um Shócmhainní Coiriúla) is a law enforcement agency in Ireland. The CAB was established with powers to focus on the illegally acquired assets of criminals involved in serious crime. The aims ...
(CAB) broke up what was described by Europol as "one of the biggest and most sophisticated counterfeiting operations ever uncovered in Europe", which had the capacity to produce €200 million (£167 million/$276 million) in
counterfeit
To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...
banknote
A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable instrument, negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand.
Banknotes w ...
s annually, some of which were shipped as far away as Japan, in an attempt to fund
IRA terrorist and criminal activities.
The Special Detective Unit was the principal security agency involved in protecting Britain's
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
on her
historic visit to Ireland in the summer of 2011, facing a significant threat from dissident republican paramilitary organizations, and they prevented a number of attempted bombings and assassination attempts to ensure a peaceful visit. The SDU also worked alongside the
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
(USSS) and
Diplomatic Security Service
The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS or DS) is a security and law enforcement agency that acts as the operational division of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which is a branch of the United States Department of State. Its primary mission is ...
(DSS) in a heightened security state during the visit of US President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
to Ireland in 2011, fearing retaliation from
al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
terrorists in response to the
death of Osama bin Laden
On May 2, 2011, Osama bin Laden, the founder and first leader of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was shot several times and killed at his compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, by United States Navy SEALs of the U.S. Naval Spe ...
a number of weeks earlier. It was Obama's first trip overseas following the killing of bin Laden by
US Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sm ...
in Pakistan, and his visit was deemed a major success.
Following the outbreak of the
Syrian Civil War (2011–present) and the campaign of violence perpetrated by the "
Islamic State
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
" (2014) terrorist organisation in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, the Middle Eastern Bureau of the Special Detective Unit and the Directorate of Military Intelligence increased their monitoring of
Irish residents and
citizens
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
who travelled to conflict regions in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
to partake in fighting, with the fear they may become radicalised and carry out Islamic
jihadist
Jihadism is a neologism which is used in reference to "militant Islamic movements that are perceived as existentially threatening to the West" and "rooted in political Islam."Compare: Appearing earlier in the Pakistani and Indian media, Wes ...
terrorist attacks in Ireland, Europe and
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
upon their return. The Middle Eastern Bureau and Military Intelligence is tasked with monitoring between 30 and 60 people living in Ireland who are under suspicion due to their links with
Muslim extremist organisations. The Irish authorities have been working with the British security services, MI5 and the
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
(SIS/MI6), to identify possible returning terrorists by sharing data, information and intelligence, operating a joint database and watchlist, and cross-checking airline passenger manifests to track Irish and UK residents and citizens who are travelling to and from conflict zones in the Middle East. The US
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...
(NSA) also shares intelligence with the Gardaí and Defence Forces security services with regards to the activities of fighters in Syria and Iraq who have originated from Ireland.
Electronic surveillance
It has been alleged that the Special Detective Unit has been involved in the
telephone tapping
Telephone tapping (also wire tapping or wiretapping in American English) is the monitoring of telephone and Internet-based conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitorin ...
and
email hacking
Email hacking is the unauthorized access to, or manipulation of, an account or email correspondence.
Overview
Email is a very widely used communication method. If an email account is hacked, it can allow the attacker access to the personal, sens ...
of crime journalists in Ireland, in attempts to reveal the identity of sources that appear in newspaper stories on crime and terrorism. A number of journalists have accused the unit of monitoring their electronic communications, as well as carrying out covert surveillance on them when they are meeting sources in person. Some journalists allege they have been questioned (and threatened with arrest) about sources used in crime and terrorism stories, including about Garda officers speaking to the media when not sanctioned to do so by senior management. Warrantless wiretapping by the authorities in Ireland is not illegal, but in the absence of a
warrant resulting evidence cannot be used to bring prosecutions in court. The press say they have been asked not to publish certain stories which may jeopardise sensitive Garda operations, but that the force has not attempted to influence reporting.
In the month of January 2012 alone, Gardaí applied for 1,829 "requests for disclosure" from telecommunications and internet companies based in Ireland. There were 1,296 subscriber requests, 494
call trace requests and 39
IP (computer address) requests. Taken as an average monthly total, theoretically Gardaí would be seeking details of over 20,000 phone and broadband subscribers per annum. These requests have been the subject of an investigation by the Office of the
Data Protection Commissioner
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (Irish: An Coimisinéir Cosanta Sonraí) (DPC), also known as Data Protection Commission, is the independent national authority responsible for upholding the EU fundamental right of individuals to ...
.
Killed in the line of duty
A number of officers in the Garda Special Detective Unit have lost their lives in the course of serving the state since the early 1920s.
Seven Special Branch detectives are known to have been
unlawfully killed in the line of duty since 1940.
Weapons
;Pistols
*
SIG Sauer P226
Sig used as a name may refer to:
*Sig (given name)
*Sig, Algeria, a city on the banks of the Sig River
*Sig Alert, an alert for traffic congestion in California, named after Loyd Sigmon
*Sig River, a river of Algeria also known as Mekerra
sig (lo ...
(9×19mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol)
*
Walther P99
The Walther P99 () is a semi-automatic pistol developed by the German company Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen of Ulm for law enforcement, security forces and the civilian shooting market as a replacement for the Walther P5 and the P88. The P99 an ...
(9×19mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol)
;Submachine Guns
*
Heckler & Koch MP7
The Heckler & Koch MP7 (German: ''Maschinenpistole 7'') is a personal defense weapon chambered for the HK 4.6×30mm armor-piercing cartridge designed by German defence manufacturer Heckler & Koch.
It was designed (together with the new cartri ...
(HK 4.6×30mm submachine gun)
;Assault Rifles
*
Heckler & Koch HK416
The Heckler & Koch HK416 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. It is designed and manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch.
Although the design is based on the AR-15 class of firearm (specifical ...
(5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle)
*
Heckler & Koch HK33
The Heckler & Koch HK33 is a 5.56mm assault rifle developed in the 1960s by West German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K), primarily for export.
Building on the success of their G3 design, the company developed a family of smal ...
(5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle)
;Sniper Rifles
*
Steyr SSG 04 (7.62×51mm NATO bolt-action sniper rifle)
*
Steyr SSG 69 (7.62×51mm NATO bolt-action sniper rifle)
;Shotguns
*
Remington Model 870
The Remington Model 870 is a Pump action shotgun, pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms, Remington Arms Company, LLC. It is widely used by the public for shooting sports, hunting and self-defense, as well as by law enforcement and mi ...
(12 gauge pump-action shotgun)
*
Benelli M4 Super 90
The Benelli M4 is a semi-automatic shotgun produced by Italian firearm manufacturer Benelli Armi SpA, and the last of the "Benelli Super 90" series of semi-automatic shotguns. The M4 uses a proprietary action design called the "auto-regulating ga ...
(12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun)
*
Benelli M3 (Super 90) (12 gauge dual-mode shotgun)
;Less Lethal
*
Taser X26
A taser is an electroshock weapon used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon (company), Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed d ...
(
electroshock weapon
An electroshock weapon is a less-lethal weapon that utilizes an electric shock to incapacitate a target by either temporarily disrupting voluntary muscle control and/or through pain compliance. There are several different types of electroshock w ...
)
See also
*
Garda National Surveillance Unit
, headquarters = Phoenix Park, Dublin (D8)Harcourt Street, Dublin (D2)
, formed =
, preceding1 = Garda Special Surveillance Unit (SSU)''"Tango Squad"''
, preceding2 =
, jurisdiction = Ireland
, employees = Undisclosed (estimated 100 ...
(NSU)
*
Defence Forces Directorate of Military Intelligence
*
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
References
External links
Garda Síochána official website
{{Coord, 53, 20, 03.5, N, 6, 15, 50.3, W, display=title
Garda Crime and Security Branch