PSNI working alongside MI5 to recruit informers

The PSNI are increasingly facilitating British military intelligence in their attempts to recruit nationalists as informers.

A West Belfast woman described this week how she was approached by MI5 agents dressed in police uniforms.

The woman, who does not want to be identified, was stopped at what she thought was a regular PSNI checkpoint in south Belfast last Sunday. She was then followed from west Belfast to a second, bogus checkpoint.

After being asked for her details, including a phone number, she said one of the pair at the checkpoint disguised as PSNI “introduced themselves as MI5 intelligence officers”.

They named a prominent west Belfast republican, a person she knows but says she hadn’t seen in years.

She was asked to meet the pair again and given a telephone number written on a piece of paper. Said she later received a call from the number but did not answer and said she has been left feeling frightened.

“You are looking around you at everyone, you are scared of everybody coming to your door,” she said.

Appealing to be “left alone” the woman added: “It makes me feel uncomfortable. I was just afraid of it escalating.”

In regard to the incident, a spokeswoman for Republican Network for Unity urged anyone who has been approached to make themselves known.

It is one of a series of recent incidents pointing to a virtual overlap between the PSNI and MI5. Last month, the PSNI facilitated yet another MI5 approach directed towards a Saoradh party member.

The incident took place on Tuesday June 14th as the young woman was driving just outside Ballymena.

An unmarked car turned on blue lights in order for her to pull in.

Two men dressed in PSNI uniforms then got out of the car and advised they were stopping her for “road traffic” and she was asked for her license and insurance. She handed them her relevant information and they went back to their car.

As they got into the car, two other individuals jumped out of the back seats wearing black jackets and approached the window of the activist’s car and addressed her by name.

They told her they were from the “security and intelligence services” and said they wanted to talk. After being challenged, they pulled their hoods up and hurried back into the unmarked car before speeding away.

Slamming the incident, Saoradh’s Stephen Murney said “Here we have yet another incident in which the Crown Forces directly facilitate, and are involved in, the MI5 approach of a member of Saoradh - a perfectly legitimate political party.

“Despite being isolated on her own and being outnumbered this young woman fiercely challenged the Crown perpetrators.”

Murney added: “This is just the latest in numerous approaches of political activists across the Occupied Six-Counties and abroad. Many of these incidents have been directly facilitated by the Crown Forces in a similar fashion.

“This is a far cry from the PSNI “normalisation” policy which sees the force being brought to schools, community centres and street events across Occupied Ireland.

“Those who provide cover for the occupier, a force who routinely abuse the human rights of citizens using stop and searches and house raids, need to be challenged on their position of forcing them onto our communities.

“Now and again the mask slips and the true nature of British policing is exposed as they work hand in glove with the sinister MI5 agency.

“The myth of accountability has been well and truly smashed. Accountability has never existed when it comes to the Crown Forces.”

Urgent Appeal