During the early 1980s the IRA bought shares in a publicly traded British company said to have been worth 200 million pounds, then used offshore brokers to take it over. They permitted most of the company to be run legitimately, but kept a corner of it to themselves to launder 30 million pounds over an eight-year period.

Despite peace initiatives presently in place, the IRA continues to ride shotgun on shipments for international traffickers, deal drugs, run protection rackets and rob banks and post offices on mainland Britain. They were once believed responsible for up to 2500 armed robberies a year. Cash-rich, they launder their money through pubs and drinking clubs, construction firms, taxi companies and private security services. Once they’ve laundered it, they invest their money in such places as the London Stock Exchange.