Revenue officers seized €5.5 million worth of illegal tobacco and cigarettes at Dublin Port.
Routine operations lead to the seizure, which was executed with the use of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner.
Over 3 tonnes of “roll your own” tobacco and 4.5 million cigarettes in total were seized.
The illegal cigarettes branded ‘Kingdom’ and tobacco branded ‘The Turner‘ had an estimated retail value of €5.5 million, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €4.3 million.
The cigarettes and tobacco were found hidden in more than 30 pallets that were manifested as “groupage” and had landed in Dublin Port from the Netherlands on their way to a location in Co. Meath.
A Revenue spokesperson said: “This seizure is part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the shadow economy and the supply and sale of illegal tobacco products. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on free phone number 1800 295 295.