The competition watchdog and teams of gardaí carried out “dawn raids” on the premises of businesses active in the home alarm industry on Monday as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into potential breaches of competition law.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) confirmed that the raids took place on Monday and said they involved its authorised officers as well as officers attached to the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and uniformed gardaí.
In a statement the CCPC said it was unable to provide any further detail about the raids or the identity of the home alarm companies that had been targeted, saying the investigation is ongoing.
However, The Irish Times understands that at least two different premises, one in Dublin city centre and one on the outskirts of the city, were among the businesses targeted throughout Monday morning and into the afternoon.
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The CCPC is the statutory body with responsibility for the enforcement of the State’s competition law. That legislation forbids anticompetitive agreements between two or more independent firms, such as agreements to fix prices, share markets, or restrict output.
In a statement it said such agreements are often referred to as “cartel agreements”.
“Competition law also forbids firms which hold a dominant position from engaging in abusive practices, such as predatory pricing or refusal to supply,” the statement continued.
It pointed out that it has the power, under legislation, to carry out unannounced searches of business premises and private homes, on foot of a search warrant issued by the District Court.
“The aim of a search is to obtain information and evidence relating to an investigation being carried out by the CCPC. These searches are commonly referred to as ‘dawn raids’,” the statement concluded.
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