Revenue seizes 5.3 million cigarettes

Officers from Revenue’s Customs Service, today (29/05/12), seized 5.3 million contraband cigarettes with a retail value of approximately €2m and a potential loss to the Exchequer of €1.8m at Dublin Port.

The "Raquel", "Pride", "Jim" and "Capital" brand cigarettes were concealed in a shipment of industrial paper reels that arrived in Dublin Port from Rotterdam and were discovered by Revenue officers when the consignment was routinely scanned by Revenue’s mobile scanner.

A United Kingdom registered commercial vehicle and trailer were seized and the driver was interviewed. Investigations are ongoing both nationally and internationally.

This latest seizure brings to approximately 55.7m the total number of cigarettes seized to date in 2012 by Revenue’s Customs Service, with an estimated retail value of €24m.

Revenue would like to remind anyone tempted to buy cheap cigarettes from an irregular source of supply that there is a high possibility they are buying counterfeit goods, which provide an unknown set of health risks as the product is not the subject of quality control. It also takes much needed funds from the Exchequer, hurts legitimate trade and is funding criminal activity. If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding the smuggling or sale of illegal cigarettes, they can contact Revenue in confidence on free phone number 1800 295 295.

[Ends: 29/05/2012]