Two men both fined €3k for cigarette smuggling
That was the view yesterday of Judge Leo Malone at Cork District Court.
Two Armagh men who were caught trying to bring 40,000 cigarettes through Cork Airport from Lanzarote spent two days in custody pending their first court appearance and were remanded for a further two days by Judge Malone to appear in court yesterday.
State solicitor for Cork city, Frank Nyhan, said the Director of Public Prosecutions decided that the cases could be dealt with at District Court level only on a plea of guilty.
Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor, said both men were pleading guilty to attempted evasion of excise duty. He said neither man had previous convictions and had paid heavily for what they had regarded as “taking a punt” on going to Lanzarote to bring back cigarettes, for which they had not considered the consequences.
“They have paid a heavy price already, spending two nights in Garda custody and two nights in Cork prison.”
Judge Malone said: “These are very serious matters. Cases are coming before the courts. Massive amounts of cigarettes are being brought in this way causing a significant loss of revenue to the State. The message has to go out loud and clear, you are going to pay a significant penalty if you are caught doing this.”
The judge imposed €3,000 fines on both accused, to be paid immediately or else serve 90 days in prison.
Relatives of the two accused brought money to court for the payment of those fines yesterday.
Raymond Glass, 43, a shopkeeper from Armagh with an address at 95 Kilmore Road, Armagh, was caught carrying 15,800 cigarettes in his luggage at Cork Airport on the night of April 12 after stepping off the flight from Lanzarote. The potential loss to the State was €5,763. Co-accused Stephen McNulty of 56 Tullyherron Road, Mountnorris, Armagh, 29, was carrying 24,200 cigarettes with a potential loss to the state of €8,785.
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