Revenue seize €48k of tobacco and cigarettes at Dublin Airport

Some 47kgs of tobacco seized following a search of three Ukrainian men's baggage

The tobacco seized by Revenue officials earlier this week. Obi, the detection dog, assisted with the operation. Picture: Revenue

Revenue officers at Dublin Airport seized cigarettes valued at €48,000 in two separate inspections on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. 

As part of routine a routine baggage inspection, and with the assistance of detector dog Obi, over 47kgs of tobacco was taken following a search of the baggage of three Ukrainian men who had arrived on a flight from Athens, Greece. 

The smuggled tobacco was branded ‘Old Holborn’, and officers say it has an estimated retail value of €28,000 — representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of €23,500.

Officials say investigations are ongoing.

In a separate operation yesterday, officers seized a further 30,000 cigarettes following a search of the checked baggage of three Slovakian men who had arrived on a flight from Bratislava, Slovakia. 

The smuggled cigarettes were branded ‘L&M Blue’ had an estimated retail value of €20,000. 

The three men later appeared before Cloverhill District Court in Dublin and were remanded in custody to appear in court again on November 5.

Revenue says these seizures are part of ongoing operations targeting smuggling and the sale and supply of illegal tobacco products in the shadow economy.