12 gangs dominate illicit fuel laundering costing exchequer €2.3bn

There are 10 to 12 major criminal gangs controlling the lucrative fuel laundering trade on both sides of the border, according to a report.

While the scale of seizures of laundered fuel has reduced in recent years, they rose again last year.

A study published yesterday also reports that former paramilitaries are heavily involved in cigarette smuggling, and that gangs are using Irish ports to get tobacco into both the North and Britain.