UK’s MI5 protected IRA agent who committed murders, police report finds

British information services allowed a apical spy successful the IRA to proceed committing superior crimes, constabulary study finds.

The United Kingdom’s home quality bureau MI5 protected an IRA treble cause who committed murders during Northern Ireland’s Troubles and aboriginal avoided prosecution, a large probe has found.

The findings are from Operation Kenova, a astir decade-long constabulary probe into “Stakeknife” – the codename for a elder IRA fig who besides worked arsenic an informant for British information services.

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He operated during The Troubles, the struggle successful Northern Ireland betwixt Irish republicans seeking a agreed Ireland and British forces and unionist paramilitaries who wanted to stay successful the UK.

About 3,500 radical were killed successful the unit earlier it ended with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Stakeknife led the IRA’s interior information unit, which abducted, interrogated and killed radical suspected of informing – portion secretly passing quality to the British.

Investigators said MI5 allowed the cause to proceed committing superior crimes, blaming a “perverse consciousness of loyalty” that meant helium was ne'er held to account.

The study said MI5 adjacent doubly removed the cause from Northern Ireland connected “holidays” contempt knowing helium was wanted by constabulary for conspiracy to execution and mendacious imprisonment.

Stakeknife has ne'er been formally identified, but helium is wide believed to person been Belfast antheral Freddie Scappaticci.

He has been linked to 14 murders and 15 abductions. Scappaticci died successful 2023. He admitted being successful the IRA but denied moving for British intelligence.

Operation Kenova besides criticised MI5 for delaying the merchandise of cardinal documents, saying respective incidents could beryllium seen arsenic attempts to “restrict the investigation, tally down the clock, debar immoderate prosecutions … and conceal the truth”.

MI5 Director General Ken McCallum apologised for the precocious disclosure and offered sympathies to victims and their families.

The study said determination is simply a “compelling ethical case” to publically sanction Stakeknife and called connected the UK authorities to apologise to bereaved families and survivors.

The 40-million-pound ($53m) probe examined 101 murders and abductions linked to the unit.

It identified much than 3,500 quality reports from Stakeknife that were not acted on. Investigators said this was grounds that lives “could and should person been saved”.