Profits of tobacco smugglers are higher than court imposed fines

Criminal gangs are earning profits equal to almost a thousand times the fines imposed on smugglers by the courts, according to the tobacco industry.

A report published by JTI Ireland — a leading manufacturer of cigarettes — called on the Government to set up an interdepartmental committee to focus on the illegal trade and to ensure adequate funding for both the gardaí and Customs officials.

The report documents the various smuggling routes into the country: