Head of European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) acknowledges support of Irish Customs
Statement by Director-General Franz-Hermann Brüner on cooperation with Ireland at launch of OLAF Operational Activity Report
The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) published its new Annual Operational Activity Report 2008 in Brussels today (09/07/09).
On this occasion, OLAF's Director-General, Mr Franz-Hermann Brüner, made some specific remarks concerning OLAF’s cooperation with Ireland.
"Our cooperation with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners is very positive. In 2008 we were particularly successful in a case against cigarette smugglers operating via Singapore", OLAF Director-General Franz-Hermann Brüner said.
Dave Godwin, head of Customs Criminal Investigations with the Revenue Commissioners said: "The Revenue Commissioners have a long-standing tradition of co-operating with OLAF in protecting the European Community's Own Resources from fraud. This co-operation covers traditional Own Resources such as Customs Duties, Anti-Dumping Duties (ADD) etc. and also cigarette smuggling. As well as the Singapore operation, which Mr Brüner mentions and is outlined in the report, we have also worked very closely with OLAF on other international operations".
[Ends 09/07/09]
Note for Editors
OLAF Operational Activities Report
Once a year, the European Anti-Fraud Office issues a report on its operational activities in the previous year. This report should not be confused with the European Commission’s annual "Report on the Protection of the financial interests of the Communities - fight against fraud".
Both reports can be downloaded on the OLAF website:
Revenue co-operation with OLAF
The legal basis for co-operation between the Member States and OLAF is Council Regulation 515/97.
In the case of traditional Own Resources, OLAF collates and communicates details of various irregularities and frauds detected or suspected by individual Member States and requests that checks be carried out by all Member States to ensure that similar practices are not occurring elsewhere. 28 such communications were received in 2008 and 14 to date in 2009. Several of these investigations are ongoing.
In addition, a case involving evasion of ADD, detected by Ireland in regard to pipe fittings declared to be of Indian origin and found to have been manufactured in China resulted in a mission to India in 2008 organised by OLAF that involved representatives from several member States including Ireland.
In the case of cigarette smuggling, the Revenue Commissioners share OLAF's views about the importance of the intervention of the authorities in Singapore in November 2008 that resulted in the seizure of 40m cigarettes destined for the EU market. This intervention followed an earlier seizure by Revenue's Customs Service of 26m cigarettes that arrived in Dublin from Singapore via Le Havre which resulted in a mission to Singapore organised by OLAF with a view to tracing the origin of these and previous consignments. This investigation involving the authorities in Singapore is ongoing.
OLAF has also been actively involved in co-ordinating an investigation involving the smuggling of cigarettes into the EU via the port of Miami in Florida. This illicit traffic was detected some years ago by Revenue's Customs Service and these detections resulted in OLAF opening an international investigation that involved several Member States and the US Authorities. This has culminated in the arrest of a US national who is due to stand trial in Florida on 3 August 2009 on a number of indictments relating to the shipment of cigarettes to several Member States including Ireland. In these cases Miami was used as a transit route into Europe.
Denis Harkin
Revenue Press Officer
Dublin Castle
Dublin 2
Phone:+353 1 6748076
Email: denis.harkin@revenue.ie