Since competition laws were passed in 1996, criminal sanctions have underpinned antitrust enforcement in Ireland helping to smash cartel activity among car dealers, commercial flooring contractors and fuel companies. Based on complaints and anonymous tip-offs, consumer watchdog the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has uncovered price-fixing among Citroen car dealers and assisted the Director of Public Prosecutions in securing the first-ever jury conviction in Ireland and Europe over the fixing of prices in the home heating oil sector. More recently, in 2017, a number of raids by the CCPC led to a bid-rigging conviction against Aston Carpets & Flooring…