Retailers concerned about 'exceptionally active' black market in tobacco smuggling

Revenue made four major seizures of cigarettes in three weeks with the help of mobile X-ray scanner

Revenue seized 7.2m cigarettes at Dublin Port on Thursday in a container that had arrived from Rotterdam.

Retailers in Ireland have raised concerns about the fourth major seizure of illegal cigarettes in the past three weeks, saying it points to an "exceptionally active" black market in the sale of tobacco products.

Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS), a representative body of more than 3,000 small and medium-sized businesses, welcomed the seizure on Thursday by Revenue of 7.2m cigarettes at Dublin Port worth an estimated retail value of more than €5m representing a potential loss to the exchequer of €3.9m.