Probe no threat to immigrants: police

By NAOMI LARKIN

New immigrants and "law-abiding citizens" have nothing to fear from a team set up to investigate links between Afghan terrorist organisations and New Zealand, police say.

The Weekend Herald reported that a team of five officers would be set up in Auckland to investigate New Zealand links with terrorists and look into immigration-related crimes.

Counties Manukau District Commander Superintendent Ted Cox said police had been receiving "isolated reports of criminal involvement" in "immigration-related irregularities" with some victims of these alleged crimes now in New Zealand.

Police had "acted prudently by also considering whether there may be potential overlaps with the current refugee situation and the tragic events in the USA", he said.

Police Commissioner Rob Robinson said yesterday that a report in a Sunday newspaper of police and SIS officers swooping on men suspected of links with American terror attackers on Friday was untrue.

In a carefully worded statement he denied the claims that armed terrorist police and SIS officers had swooped on Friday on men suspected of links with the attacks, following a tip-off from American security agencies.

"Police have no special knowledge that terrorist cells are operating in New Zealand. We will continue to keep an open mind on all security-related matters as I am sure this is what the New Zealand public expects.

"As the District Commander for Counties Manukau observed publicly yesterday, police are acting prudently in considering whether there may be any potential overlaps with immigration issues and the tragic events in the USA," he said.

Map: Opposing forces in the war against terror

Afghanistan facts and links