13/10/2016

Over 900,000 Cigarettes Seized In Three Customs Service Operations

Revenue's Customs Service have seized 900,000 cigarettes at Dublin Port as a result of routine profiling.

On Wednesday, 12 October, the cigarettes were detected, with the help of detector dog Casey, in five pallets which were marked as 'catering equipment' and had arrived into Dublin from the Netherlands. The smuggled cigarettes were branded "Mayfair". Gardaí have said that an investigation into the smuggled cigarettes is ongoing with a view to prosecution.

Customs Service also reported that on Sunday, 09 October, Revenue officers seized 7,000 cigarettes when they conducted searches, under court warrant, of two houses in Castletownbere, West Cork.

Detective dog Harvey assisted in the searches, which resulted in the seizure of 7,000 "NZ" cigarettes, and a car. Two Lithuanian men in their 40s were questioned and a prosecution file is being prepared.

Elsewhere, in Dublin Airport last Wednesday, Revenue officers seized 22,000 cigarettes when they stopped and searched two men who had arrived on a flight from Istanbul.

The 48-year-old Bulgarian and 37-year-old Moldovan were arrested at the scene and appeared before Judge Halpin in the District Court. They were remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison and will appear in court again today, 13 October.

The total value of the seized cigarettes is €511,000, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of €412,000.

(MH/JP)

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