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Revenue officers seized 31,000 contraband cigarettes and 107 litres of wine in a raid on a van coming from Cherbourg in France on Wednesday.
The discovery was made when officers searched a van that had arrived in Rosslare Europort in Wexford from Cherbourg.
Assisted by detector dog Alfie, 31,000 cigarettes, branded ‘Kent’, ‘Marlboro’, ‘Vogue Slims’ and ‘Lucky Strike’, and 107 litres of wine were discovered in concealments throughout the vehicle.
The retail value of the wine is €1,490, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of €735.
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A Romanian man was arrested at the scene and remanded to a special sitting of Gorey District Court.
In a separate operation last Thursday revenue officers carried out a number of searches of premises in the Dundalk and Drogheda areas, focusing on the illicit tobacco trade.
During the searches, officers uncovered and seized almost 54kg of tobacco and 12,130 cigarettes of various brands, all of which were unstamped.
Two vehicles and €13,000 cash were also seized.
The combined retail value of the tobacco products seized is €50,750, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €40,750.