Loophole allows travellers to bring in unlimited drink and cigarettes

SMOKERS and drinkers can bring in as much cigarettes and alcohol from other European countries as they want because of the legal loophole which compromises the Custom and Excise rules.

Chair of the Revenue Commissioners Josephine Feehily admitted the limits it set for personal use were ineffective if a person had already paid duty in another European country.

She said while it tried to impose an 800-cigarette cap on travellers, in reality people could bring in thousands of cigarettes unchecked.