Cigarette Seizures at Dublin Airport
Officers of Revenue’s Customs Service at Dublin Airport seized 289,000 cigarettes and 50Kgs of Tobacco in anti-smuggling operations yesterday and early this morning (05/09/2008). The total potential loss to Revenue of these seizures amounts to €96,500.
The operations targeted organised cigarette and tobacco smuggling gangs from Latvia, Romania and Northern Ireland.
126,200 cigarettes were seized from a Romanian gang, who had travelled to Dublin from Bucharest via Prague.
100,000 cigarettes were seized from organised gangs smuggling cigarettes from Riga in Latvia, and Vilnius, in Lithuania.
In an intelligence led operation against a Northern Ireland based gang 63,000 cigarettes and 50Kgs of Tobacco were seized from passengers arriving on a flight from the Canary Islands early this morning.
This represents a significant success for Customs at Dublin Airport in their fight against organised crime and similar operations will continue. A number of files are being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Revenue’s Customs Service has seized a total of 24.6 million cigarettes and 991Kgs of Tobacco at Dublin Airport this year. This represents a potential loss of Revenue of approximately €7.5 million.
Ends 05/09/2008