Black market and crime costing state €861 million a year
Print19 September 2012
The Irish Exchequer is losing €861 million annually because of illegal black market activity and retail theft. The recession had led to an increase in retail crime, including shoplifting, fuel smuggling and the sale of smuggled cigarettes, according to IBEC group, Retail Ireland as it called for a zero tolerance approach from gardaí and the courts.
Retail Ireland is calling for rewards of up to €810,000 for whistle blowers of retail crime and for benefits to be reduced for persons and businesses found guilty. Also the group said that consumers need to be made aware that buying smuggled and counterfeit goods was putting money straight into the hands of dangerous and ruthless criminal gangs.
Since 2010, 19 oil laundries have been detected and closed, and 690,000 litres of oil seized. At least 12% of all diesel sold in Ireland is illegal. In 2011, 109 million illegal cigarettes, with a value of €45.9 million, were seized and almost 25% of the Irish cigarette market is sourced from the black market.
Chairman of Retail Ireland Frank Gleeson said: "Additional garda resources are required and much tougher sentences are needed as a deterrent. Consumers must be made more aware of the economic and social consequences of buying illegal goods.”
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