Irish police chief Drew Harris targets internal Garda corruption

An anti-corruption unit in the Garda Síochána (Irish police force) will be in operation by the end of the year, the head of the force has said.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris made the announcement at a superintendents' conference in County Kildare.

He said the unit would be proactive and intelligence-based and run from Garda headquarters.

It would investigate Garda members suspected of criminal activity - from leaking information to drug abuse.

The Garda had to look for corruption from within its own ranks, he said.

"If we didn't look, we wouldn't find it," he said.