British Military Intelligence Systems in Northern Ireland

The British Military is alleged by author Tony Geraghty to have exploited a number of information sources during security operations in Northern Ireland. Geraghty describes these in his book, The Irish War, basing his description on an extract from an unspecified, classified document passed to him by an unspecified informant, later identified as a former Army Officer, Nigel Wylde.

Geraghty claimed significant capabilities for these systems and extensive use by both British Military Intelligence and Police.

Sourcing
Geraghty used as his source an extract from a classified document passed to him by Wylde. Following publication of The Irish War both were investigated by the Ministry of Defence Police and charged with offences under the Official Secrets Act 1989. The case against both was later dropped by the MoD.

Military context
By 1994 the British military, intelligence and police apparatus in Northern Ireland had over thirty-seven separate intelligence gathering computer systems operating. Their focus was detection before, during and after paramilitary activity, with a particular focus on the activities of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).

Vehicle tracking
Gheraty claims that a system called Vengeful was used to identify vehicles associated with a subject of interest and linked to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of Northern Ireland.

Subject of interest information collation
Gheraty claims that a system called Crucible was used to consolidate items of information about individuals including personal details, imagery, mapping, movements and activities. He alleges that this system was later replaced by a modernised system called CAISTER with some 350 terminals throughout the province operating at the SECRET level.

Automated vehicle tracking
Gheraty claims that in 1997 the Vengeful system was connected to a camera network called Glutton that would automagically track the movements of vehicles identified as being related to subjects of interest. Gheraty claims that there were eighty overt and twenty covert camera locations in Northern Ireland and further deployment of camera equipment on the mainland.

In 1997 an analysis system called Effigy was integrated with Vengeful under a project titled Mannequin allowing more detailed analysis of the vehicle movement data.