Cigarettes seized in operation at Dublin airport

Customs officers seized some 289,000 cigarettes and 50kg of tobacco worth a total of €96,500 in an anti-smuggling operation at Dublin airport.

Revenue said today its Customs Service seized the cigarettes yesterday and early this morning.

“The operations targeted organised cigarette and tobacco smuggling gangs from Latvia, Romania and Northern Ireland,” a statement said.

Some 126,200 cigarettes were taken from what Revenue said was a “Romanian gang” who had travelled to Dublin from Bucharest via Prague.

A further 100,000 cigarettes were seized from organised gangs smuggling cigarettes from Riga in Latvia, and Vilnius, in Lithuania, Revenue said.

“In an intelligence led operation against a Northern Ireland-based gang 63,000 cigarettes and 50kg of tobacco were seized from passengers arriving on a flight from the Canary Islands early this morning.”

A spokesman said this was a “significant success” for customs officers at Dublin airport in their fight against organised crime and that similar operations would continue.

A number of files are being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

In total, Revenue’s Customs Service has seized a total of 24.6 million cigarettes and 991kg of tobacco at Dublin airport alone this year, representing a potential loss of revenue of about €7.5 million.