""It's funny: the money [that] they have is all in the ether," she says. "It's never really in their hands. They're always in debt or in credit, or they're owed, or they owe money - vast amounts of it. And of course, some of it does end up in their hands, and they'll spend it like mad on items that you wouldn't think of ever buying in your lifetime."
""It's the weirdest thing, really. They can do a lifetime in organised crime and at the end of it, say 20 years, they can have nothing. I mean nothing. They're still probably in the council house they started out in and if they're not in the business anymore they have nothing, absolutely nothing to show for it." Tallant notes the difference in spending habits found inside the economy of organised crime, with "thousands and thousands" spent on children's Christmas presents by some criminals,"
Organised crime can deliver substantial, short-term income but rarely provides longevity, retirement, or lasting assets. Wealth within criminal networks often exists as debts, credits, or money owed rather than tangible holdings. Some criminals spend extravagantly on luxury goods and family gifts, while others adopt extremely frugal habits. Many long-term participants end their careers with little or nothing to show materially and may return to their original housing. Major drug dealers commonly carry balances of roughly €100,000–€300,000 either owed or outstanding, and a single significant loss can erase those earnings.
Read at Irish Independent
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