Estimated annual fundraising capacity of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland 2002

Based on a UK parliamentary report from 2002, it was estimated that some paramilitary organizations based in Northern Ireland were able to generate as much as eight* million British pounds per year, which was significantly higher than operational costs in the years around the Good Friday Agreement (1998). Funds were primarily generated in local communities through illegal activities, such as robberies, extortion, protection rackets, drugs, and smuggling, among others. Additionally, membership fees were also common, while Catholic paramilitaries often received large donations from overseas, especially the United States.