POLICE have warned entire streets across the North of Ireland are in debt to paramilitary gangs running money-lending rackets.
It comes as a new advertising campaign has been launched urging people not to turn to them when in financial trouble.
Failure to repay loans with “hefty interest” has led to some being forced into involvement in transporting drugs, or prostitution.
Republican and loyalist groups are both said to engage in illegal lending. The INLA is said to be highly involved in money lending in Derry.
A new television public service message aired for the first time on Monday night and showed a single mother whose situation changes for the worse after borrowing cash.
It is the latest instalment in the Ending the Harm campaign run by the Northern Ireland Executive.
Previous adverts have concentrated on paramilitary assaults and shootings.
Justice Minister Naomi Long said illegal money lending was an under-reported crime which targets “vulnerable people”.
She said she was worried the economic fall-out from the health pandemic could lead to more people being exploited.
Mrs Long said: “We know from research and evidence that this is yet another example of how paramilitaries and those linked to them try to coerce and control people and communities for their own gain.
“It is common for victims of this crime to feel that they have no-one to turn to. But support and help is available.
“Advice NI runs a free and confidential debt service offering practical advice and support to people dealing with debt of any description.”
There have not yet been any convictions connected to paramilitary money-lending according to the police, but a number of cases are being considered by prosecutors.
They said “most if not all” of the groups being targeted by the paramilitary crime task force are involved – the UDA, the UVF and the INLA.
Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton
“They will charge you exorbitant interest rates and set unrealistic pay back targets.
“They will tell you that you are in their debt forever, they will threaten you and coerce you into getting involved in their criminal world, for example, they may tell you that you have to peddle their drugs for them, or ‘handle’ criminal property.
“My message is simple. Policing works for communities, particularly for those communities that engage and work with us.
“There are obvious difficulties in getting victims of illegal money lenders to come forward due to fear but the police are far from powerless when it comes to dealing with these people who are exploiting their own communities.”
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