Specialist garda team join Competition Authority

A SPECIAL team of gardaí have joined forces with the Competition Authority to combat price-fixers who are ripping off consumers by more than 600m euro a year.

Three garda detectives have joined the authority, which now has a beefed-up cartels division and tough new powers under legislation, which came into effect last month.

The new head of the authority's cartel division, Terry Galvani, said he was confident their new powers would result in successful prosecutions.