Number-plate technology to track Europort vehicles

The registration number of every vehicle which enters and leaves Rosslare Europort will be instantly recorded under new technology.

Revenue is introducing an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system on a pilot basis at the busy Co Wexford hub.

The new technology will help Revenue officers quickly track and identify vehicles suspected of illegally carrying goods such as drugs or cigarettes.

A Revenue spokeswoman said: “Officers had to previously scroll through hours of CCTV footage if they wanted to track the registration details of a single vehicle. This new system will make this work more time-efficient.”

The new technology, which will be installed in coming months, will be used on Rosslare’s import and export channels.

Last week officers seized €439,000 in cash which had been concealed in the door panels of a car arriving at Rosslare from France.

In August six million contraband cigarettes with an estimated street value of €2.2m were discovered in a fruit and vegetable lorry.

Last July, a 25kg package of cannabis resin was found hidden in a petrol tank in a UK-registered car which had arrived at Rosslare from Cherbourg in France.