Special Report: Illegal cigarettes easily available in rural Cork areas

Illegal cigarettes, either counterfeit or contraband, are as easily available in rural areas of Cork as they are in the city.

An undercover team of operatives, led by two former senior police officers, uncovered sufficient evidence of the illegal trade in North Cork within a period of just a few hours.

One female operative, a smoker, targets licensed premises in Fermoy, Mallow and Mitchelstown and, after striking up conversations with other smokers, was provided with contact numbers for people selling cheap tobacco products.