Ireland considers adding drug trafficking to police FRT use cases

Ireland is hoping to use facial recognition in fighting drug trafficking networks.

Minister of Justice Helen McEntee presented a new report on Tuesday detailing police success in cracking down on high-profile crime groups and seizing large volumes of drugs.

Since 2019, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) has seized approximately 390 million euros (US$419 million) worth of drugs.

One of the steps to support the police in boosting this figure will be drafting new laws allowing the use of facial recognition in the investigation of certain drug offenses, according to McEntee.

The ministry has been working on adding drug trafficking offenses to the list of specific circumstances in which police can use facial recognition. The list would be regulated by the draft General Scheme of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2023, which would allow the police limited use of retrospective biometric identification while analyzing CCTV footage and data.

According to the draft legislation, police would be allowed to use the technology only in serious crimes. In December last year, the Irish Cabinet approved adding riot and violent disorder among the included offenses. The Bill would also apply to abduction, aggravated sexual assault, murder, and some instances of child sexual abuse, trafficking and pornography.

“I agree that the impact organized crime and those involved in organized crime can have on our communities is devastating,” McEntee said in September. “We are drafting new laws which will provide for the use of facial recognition technology, including in the investigation of certain drug offenses.”

The Bill passed the Justice Committee pre-legislative scrutiny in February. Critics, however, have been warning that the proposed legislation is inadequate to protect fundamental rights.

Despite these concerns, police in Ireland have been gaining more ground in the legal battle to use technology for crime fighting. Following the November 2023 riots in Dublin which led to arson, looting and assaults on police officers, the country signed a law allowing police officers to wear bodycams.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  criminal ID  |  facial recognition  |  Ireland  |  police