25/09/2012

7.6 Million Smuggled Cigarettes Seized At Dublin Port

Smuggled cigarettes worth €2.9m have been seized by customs officers, amid calls by retailers for a minimum €10,000 fine to stop what they called an “epidemic”.

The average fine for smuggling cigarettes has dropped by 38% between the first and second quarter of the year and the average for selling the goods has fallen by over 20%.

Officers intercepted the consignment of 7.6 million contraband cigarettes at Dublin Port, which arrived, marked as furniture, from Zeebrugge in Belgium.

The 'Capital' and 'Master' brands were discovered during a routine check with Revenue's mobile scanner.

An Irish-registered commercial vehicle and a trailer were seized and the driver was interviewed. Follow-up inquiries were continuing last night.

The latest seizure brings the number of illegal cigarettes intercepted by the Revenue so far this year 80.8 million.

Benny Gilsenan, spokesman for Retailers Against Smuggling, said: "Unless the Government brings in more punitive measures, this crime wave will continue and more and more Irish jobs will be lost."

(H)


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