Revenue seizes €110,000 of alcohol/cash and shuts down Dublin cigarette plant
The illicit alcohol represents a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €47,000
On 28 February 2024, Revenue officers were granted two three-month cash detention orders by Judge John Cheatle at a sitting of Gorey District Court.
This followed two seizures of €10,210, in cash, and a small amount of foreign currency at Rosslare Europort. The discovery was made as a result of risk profiling when Revenue officers searched a van which was scheduled to board a ferry to Cherbourg, France.
Two men in their 20s were questioned in relation to these seizures.
Separately on 26 February 2024, as a result of risk profiling, Revenue officers seized more than 25,000 litres of beer at Rosslare Europort.
The illicit alcohol, branded ‘Stella Artois’, ‘Carlsberg’, ‘Perla’, ‘Kestrel’, ‘Kronenbourg’ and ‘OJ Strong’, has a retail value of more than €100,000, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €47,000.
The consignment had arrived in an accompanied trailer that had disembarked a ferry from Dunkirk, France. The driver of the load has been questioned and investigations are ongoing.
These seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing work targeting smuggling and shadow economy activity.
If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on 1800 295 295.
Revenue shuts down illicit cigarette plant in Dublin
Pictured: Detector dog Milo
As part of an intelligence-led operation and with the assistance of An Garda Síochána and detector dog Milo, Revenue officers searched a premise under warrant in Dublin 11 and closed down an illicit commercial cigarette factory.
Revenue officers discovered more than 1.4 tonnes of raw tobacco, all precursor components for the manufacture of cigarettes and approximately 758,000 illicit cigarettes branded ‘Marlboro’, which were ready for distribution.
The retail value of the seized cigarettes is more than €630,000, with a potential loss to the Exchequer of almost €500,000.
The equipment at the production plant is believed to have had the capacity to produce more than 250,000 cigarettes per hour, along with pre-processing and packaging facilities.
Investigations are ongoing nationally and internationally.
