The documents indicate this was in order to fund its activities
Official records have disclosed the IRA planned to exploit Margaret Thatcher's signature privatisation policy to fund its activities.
Paramilitary-linked racketeers seeking lucrative public contracts during the Troubles, employed benefit fraudsters to reduce wages and help keep costs down.
This reportedly helped to maximise their chances of winning competitive tenders.
Among the areas most vulnerable were services such as contract cleaning in places dominated by armed groups, according to NIO officials.
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