Cigarette and Tobacco seizure at Dublin Airport
In a targeted, intelligence led, anti-smuggling operation on a flight arriving from Tenerife on Saturday night (12/01/08) officers of Revenue's Customs Service at Dublin Airport seized 167,800 cigarettes and 2.2 Kilos of Tobacco.
This attempt by a Northern Ireland based gang to smuggle a large volume of cigarettes on one flight was foiled as a result of an intelligence led operation by Customs Officers. Customs believe the cigarettes and tobacco were destined for sale at markets North and South of the border.
The value of the cigarettes and tobacco seized amounts to €66,242, with a potential loss of revenue to the State of €47,526
This is the second large seizure of cigarettes this week, and since 1st January 2008 Customs at Dublin Airport have seized 667,000 cigarettes and 107 Kilos of tobacco in the continuing battle with Irish and Eastern European smuggling gangs.
In 2007, 38.8 million cigarettes and 746 Kilos of tobacco were seized by Customs Enforcement Officers at Dublin Airport.
[Ends:14/01/2008]