Senior RUC officers who recently took early retirement have been called into the fight against cattle smugglers in Northern Ireland, it was disclosed today.
The officers have been recruited on short-term contracts by the Ministry of Agriculture in Belfast to boost the investigation into livestock fraud and smuggling which has been uncovered by the foot-and mouth crisis.
It was smuggled sheep brought into Northern Ireland from Britain which carried the virus into the country and then on across the border into the State.
Minister for Agriculture in Northern Ireland Ms Brid Rodgers sanctioned the recruitment of the former police officers to help investigate the extent of livestock fraud after being shocked by the level of smuggling uncovered during initial inquiries into the foot and mouth outbreak.
The officers, including former fraud squad members and those who investigated terrorist crime, only recently took early retirement as part of the Patten proposals to reduce the size of the RUC under the terms of the Belfast Agreement.
Ministry sources said they were determined to identify and prosecute those responsible for illegal livestock activities.
Nineteen people are currently under investigation for alleged illegal activities, including subsidy fraud.
PA