Five-million illegal cigarettes worth about E1.5m seized by customs

Cormac O’Keeffe

The cigarettes had a street value of about E1.5 million and would have deprived the State of E1.2 million in lost revenue.

The seizure brings the total number of seized contraband cigarettes so far this year to 13 million, with a total revenue loss of E3.4 million. Yesterday’s consignment of cigarettes was found inside a refrigerated trailer of a Scania truck.

“The Regal brand cigarettes were found hidden in a container which was declared as frozen vegetables,” said a customs spokesman.

He said the cigarettes had originated in the Ukraine and were transported by sea from Odessa to Dublin via Rotterdam. The container was followed until it was delivered to a warehouse in Drogheda, Co Louth.

“A man with an address in Monaghan has been questioned and is helping the Revenue with their

inquiries,” said the spokesman. The seizure was the result of risk profiling, which involves an examination of the day’s manifest list of traffic in and out of the port.

Earlier this month, customs seized 4.8 million contraband cigarettes at Rosslare Port. The haul, worth E1.4 million, originated from Spain and was also hidden in a refrigerated trailer, which contained frozen chips.

Two residents from the North were questioned in relation to that operation.

In January, customs seized 3.2 million cigarettes at Dublin Port.

The Regal, Sovereign and Super King brand cigarettes originated from Spain.