Republican Action Against Drugs

Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) is an Irish republican vigilante group active mainly in Derry and the surrounding area, including parts of counties Londonderry and Tyrone in Northern Ireland, and parts of County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It targets those who it claims are drug dealers.[1] The group's methods include shooting the alleged dealers in the arms and legs ("punishment shootings"); pipe bomb or arson attacks on the property of alleged dealers; and warning, threatening or banishing the alleged dealers.[2] It has claimed responsibility for shooting one man dead, and has vowed to "execute" others.

In July 2012, it was announced that RAAD was merging with the Real Irish Republican Army and other independent republican paramilitary groups.[3][4]

History

RAAD graffiti in the Bogside area of Derry

The group formed in late 2008. Shortly afterward, it offered an "amnesty" to all drug dealers, asking them to make themselves known to the group before giving an assurance that they had stopped dealing.[2] In an interview with the Derry Journal in August 2009, the group's leadership explained: "We would monitor the actions of those who have come forward and, given an adequate period of time, interest in those drug dealers would cease and they could start to lead normal lives".[2] The group claims to have an intelligence network within the Derry area and stated, "We would never act unless we hold undeniable evidence that the person punished has been dealing in drugs. We regularly compile information on certain individuals – including CCTV footage and statements from those who have received drugs from these people". As its name suggests, it comes from an Irish republican background.[2]

In the 1990s, a group calling itself Direct Action Against Drugs (DAAD) operated in Northern Ireland and used similar methods. Many believe DAAD was linked to the Provisional Irish Republican Army.[5] On the topic of politics, RAAD's leadership said: "There is absolutely no political agenda within our organisation. Our only aim is to eliminate drug dealers from our society and put an end to them destroying our community". The RAAD leadership claimed that some of its members had been involved with the Provisional IRA in the past, and added that Sinn Féin members and officials "have approached us privately, claiming that they support what we are attempting to achieve".[2]

In an October 2010 interview with the Strabane Chronicle, a RAAD spokesman claimed all of its members are former republican volunteers who support the peace process.[6] During an investigation into RAAD in June 2012, the home of the Sinn Féin Mayor of Derry, Kevin Campbell, was raided and searched by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).[7][8] The group was the focus of a 2010 BBC Northern Ireland Spotlight documentary.[9]

In April 2010, RAAD announced its amnesty for drug dealers would end on 1 June 2010 and that anyone continuing to sell drugs afterwards could be killed.[10] In early June, the Derry Journal reported that RAAD had ordered ten drug dealers to leave Derry immediately.[11] The following month, it claimed that it had given another Derry man 48 hours to leave the country.[12] Around the same time, a Derry teenager publicly apologised for having sold drugs after he was threatened by the group.[13]

In July 2010, a 42-year-old Derry man was arrested after police found a "scanning device, paramilitary clothing and balaclavas" in his car and a makeshift stun gun in his home. He was described in court as a "key member" of RAAD, but he denied the charge and claimed the stun gun was for his own protection. A detective said that attacks by RAAD had lessened since the man's arrest. He was electronically tagged and put under curfew.[14]

RAAD claimed its first killing in February 2012 when it shot dead Andrew Allen, a father of two, at his home in Buncrana, County Donegal. Although this was strongly denied by his family, the group claimed Allen had been warned to stop drug dealing but had not done so. They added that Allen was one of six people who would be executed.[15] Later that month, it was reported that RAAD had begun operating in North Belfast, although it is not known if the Belfast group was linked to the one in Derry.[16]

In June 2012, RAAD members attacked a PSNI vehicle in Derry with a blast bomb. This was the first time it had attacked security forces, claiming the attack was "a direct response to increased and ever more brutal attacks on republicans and their families" and warned that such attacks would continue "as long as the security forces continue to victimise republican areas". By the time of the attack, many republicans were claiming that RAAD had become a political, dissident republican group.[17]

On 26 July, an announcement was made that RAAD was merging with the Real IRA and other dissident republican paramilitaries, but not including the Continuity IRA.[3][4]

Timeline

The following is a timeline of actions that have been claimed by, or blamed on, Republican Action Against Drugs.

2009

2010

January–June

July–December

2011

2012-2014

References

  1. "PremiumSale.com Premium Domains". Independentmonitoringcommission.org. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "'Only way to eradicate drugs scourge is to remove the dealers' - Exclusive interview with Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD)". 18 August 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  3. 1 2 McDonald, Henry (26 July 2012). "Republican dissidents join forces to form a new IRA". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  4. 1 2 "New IRA: full statement by the dissident 'Army Council'". London: The Guardian. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  5. "CAIN: Abstracts of Organisations-'D'". Cain.ulst.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  6. "Face to Face with RAAD" by Conor Sharkey, 7 October 2010, Strabane Chronicle
  7. BBC Northern Ireland report on raid of Derry Mayor Kevin Campbell's home; accessed 10 April 2014.
  8. PSNI officers raid Derry' Mayor's home, thejournal.ie (July 2012); accessed 10 April 2014.
  9. "Spotlight". BBC. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  10. Staff (16 April 2010). "'Next knock could be your last'". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 Staff (3 June 2010). "RAAD order ten men out". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  12. Staff (20 July 2010). "RAAD order man out". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  13. Published on Friday 16 July 2010 (16 July 2010). "Derry teen 'apologises' for dealing drugs". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  14. BBC, BBC (22 November 2010). "Accused is 'key member of RAAD'". BBC. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  15. 1 2 "RAAD issues chilling warning", Inishowen Independent (23 February 2012); retrieved 1 March 2012.
  16. "‘RAAD’ now operating in north Belfast - reports", Derry Journal (26 February 2012); retrieved 1 March 2012.
  17. 1 2 Staff (5 June 2012). "RAAD targets PSNI". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  18. Staff (17 April 2009). "RAAD claim pipe bomb attack at Balmoral Avenue". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  19. "Irish republican vigilantes in Donegal pipe bomb attack".
  20. "Gun attack victim was abducted". BBC News. 8 October 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  21. "Dissidents were behind shooting". BBC News. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  22. Staff (19 October 2009). "RAAD claim Waterside gun attack". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  23. Staff (8 December 2009). "Raad Bomb Blitz". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  24. Staff (15 December 2009). "RAAD admit Creggan shootings". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  25. "Police appeal over shop shooting". BBC News. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  26. "Protest over dissident shooting". BBC News. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  27. "'Legal high' link to gun attack". BBC News. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  28. "Drug and Alcohol Information and Support in Ireland". Drugs.ie. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  29. Staff (26 February 2010). "RAAD claim Creggan shooting". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  30. 1 2 Staff (30 March 2010). "RAAD claim Creggan pipe bomb attacks". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  31. 1 2 3 4 "RAAD blamed for shooting a 24-year-old man" (PDF). Independentmonitoringcommission.org. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  32. "Gang enters bedroom to shoot man". BBC News. 14 April 2010.
  33. "'Criminal gang' claim Derry bombs". BBC News. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  34. "Pipe bomb found in Londonderry". BBC News. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  35. "Man shot in both legs in attack". BBC News. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  36. 1 2 Staff (23 April 2010). "'Money grabbing' RAAD face jail". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  37. Staff (22 April 2010). "Pipe bomb explodes in Limavady". Londonderry Sentinel. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  38. Staff (25 May 2010). "Shot man 'used to deal cocaine'". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  39. "News from Northern Ireland". U.TV. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  40. "Shot man's house damaged by fire". BBC News. 3 June 2010.
  41. 1 2 "Strabane taxi driver shot in both legs". BBC News. 18 July 2010.
  42. 1/hi/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/10180751.stm "Arrests over Strabane explosion" Check |url= value (help). BBC News. 28 May 2010.
  43. "Pub alert device 'was pipe bomb'". BBC News. 28 May 2010.
  44. "Strabane pipe bomb destroys car". BBC News. 3 June 2010.
  45. "Strabane pipe bomb linked to RAAD". Highlandradio.com. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  46. "Car damaged in pipe bomb attack". BBC News. 4 June 2010.
  47. 1 2 3 Staff (11 June 2010). "RAAD 'fired 80 shots' in Creggan show of strength". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  48. 1/hi/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/10262354.stm "Pipe bomb attack on family's home" Check |url= value (help). BBC News. 8 June 2010.
  49. Staff (14 June 2010). "RAAD 'seize E tabs from gang'". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  50. "Vigilantes to blame for attack say couple".
  51. "Pipe bomb attack on Derry home". BBC News. 25 June 2010.
  52. Staff (30 July 2010). "Gun attack was 'terrifying'". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  53. "PSNI explore RAAD link to Derry shooting". BBC News. 27 July 2010.
  54. Published on Friday 3 September 2010 13:07 (3 September 2010). "RAAD warn over support for 'hard men'". Derry Journal. Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  55. "Councillor claims 'shots fired at crowd' in Londonderry". BBC News. 20 September 2010.
  56. Staff (24 September 2010). "RAAD gunman 'wasn't drunk'". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  57. "Fear that Derry shooting victim 'could lose use of leg'". BBC News. 19 October 2010.
  58. Staff (25 October 2010). "Vigilante group admits Creggan Heights shooting". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  59. Staff (5 November 2010). "Shooting victim admits being a drug dealer". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  60. "Why target us ask the victims of two pipebomb blasts".
  61. Staff (11 March 2011). "RAAD admit Muff attack". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  62. Staff (24 May 2011). "RAAD warn estate agents". Derry Journal. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  63. "Children moved away from site of Strabane shooting". BBC News. 14 March 2011.
  64. "Police say children had a lucky escape in Derry blast". BBC News. 3 June 2011.
  65. "RAAD 'apology' ridiculed". Derry Journal. 7 June 2011.
  66. "We will defend our community: RAAD". Derry Journal. 13 July 2011.
  67. "Two held over Derry shooting are released". Belfast Telegraph. 25 November 2011.
  68. "Martin McGuinness's nephew is victim in double shooting". Belfast Telegraph. 14 December 2011.
  69. "RAAD claimed responsibility for Strabane shooting". Belfast Telegraph, 5 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  70. "Mother's anguish after she was ordered to bring son to be shot". Belfast Telegraph, 30 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  71. "‘I hope he listens now’ - Mum ordered to bring son to be shot", Derry Journal, 30 April 2012; retrieved 30 April 2012.
  72. "Protest rally against RAAD is held in Londonderry". BBC News, 28 April 2012; retrieved 30 April 2012.
  73. "BBC News - Andrew Allen 'threatened' before murder". Bbc.co.uk. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  74. "Derry explosion: Bomb in car in Creggan forces people from their homes". BBC News. 27 March 2014.
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