Sharp increase in number of illegal drugs detected in parcels

There has been a sharp increase in the number of packets and parcels containing illegal drugs detected this year, with almost a doubling of seizures by Revenue so far in 2019. A record number of detections has uncovered almost €3m worth of controlled drugs weighing over half a tonne.

Most of the detections are made at postal sorting centres including the main centre in Portlaoise, where Revenue staff use sniffer dogs and X-ray machines to intercept packages.