Revenue seizes over 5 million cigarettes

As a result of an intelligence-led operation, officers from Revenue’s Customs Service yesterday, (03/09/2015), seized over 5 million cigarettes with a retail value of over €2.5m*

The ‘Eton’ brand cigarettes, described on the manifest as ‘cardboard boxes’, were uncovered in a container which arrived into the Port of Cork on Monday (31/08/15) having travelled from Malaysia via Singapore and Rotterdam.

Investigations are continuing.

In two other operations, officers from Revenue’s Customs Service also seized a further 22,200 cigarettes and 300 litres of alcohol:

• Today (4/9/15) in an intelligence led operation, officers seized approximately 300 litres of alcohol and 4,200 cigarettes with a total retail value of over €5,400 at Dublin Port. The alcohol and cigarettes were discovered when officers stopped and searched an Irish registered van that disembarked a ferry from Liverpool. The van was driven by an Irish resident Lithuanian national conducting a courier business.
• Yesterday (3/9/15) officers seized 18,000 ‘Winston’ brand cigarettes with a retail value of almost €9,000 at Dublin Airport. The cigarettes were found in the luggage of a 25 year old Moldovan female when she arrived on a flight from Moscow via Charles De Gaulle, France. She appeared before Judge Dunne in Court 4, Criminal Courts of Justice today and was remanded in custody until next Tuesday (08/09/2015).

These seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the supply and sale of illegal cigarettes. If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding the smuggling or sale of illegal cigarettes or tobacco, they can contact Revenue in confidence on free phone number 1800 295 295.

Ends: 04/9/2015

*The cigarettes represent a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €2m. This is assuming that they would have displaced the equivalent full tax paid quantity of cigarettes.