More than €189,000 worth of contraband alcohol, medicines and tobacco has been seized during operations in Dublin and Rosslare in the past week.
This included in excess of 25,800 litres of beer, 1,980 vials of medicine, 800 pills, 25kg of tobacco and 24,000 cigarettes.
Last Wednesday officers in Rosslare Europort seized a truck and its load of over 25,800 litres of beer – with an estimated retail value of €107,000.
The truck was stopped when it arrived from France after routine profiling to identify alcohol products that may be diverted on to the market without payment of tax.
Exchequer loss
Investigations are ongoing with a view to prosecution.
In Dublin Airport on Saturday, Revenue officers seized approximately 24,000 Benson and Hedges cigarettes and 25kg of shisha tobacco, with a combined retail value of some €27,000. This would have represented a potential estimated loss to the exchequer of €22,000.
Revenue say the smuggled tobacco products were concealed in the luggage of two men in their 20s, who had arrived into Dublin on a flight from Kuwait via Doha.
Carrying alcohol
At Dublin Port on Sunday, Revenue officers stopped and searched a truck as it disembarked a ferry from Holyhead.
Along with its legitimate consignment, the truck was also found to be carrying alcohol without appropriate documentation or duty paid.
Revenue seized the 216 litres of beer and approximately 26 litres of spirits, with an estimated retail value of €1,800 and representing a potential loss to the exchequer of about €1,000.
Earlier on Wednesday, Revenue officers at Dublin Port also seized medicines – suspected to be steroids – with estimated retail value of €54,000, when they stopped and searched a truck arriving from Holyhead.