22 September 2015
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Revenue officers, with assistance from An Garda Síochana, seized 445,000 cigarettes yesterday in Cork with a retail value of approximately €222,500*.
Following an indication by Harvey, Revenue’s sniffer dog, approximately 42,000 unstamped ‘NZ Slim’ cigarettes were seized at a commercial premises in Cork city by Revenue officers. The cigarettes were concealed inside several ‘mannequins’.
Following a controlled delivery, a further 403,000 ‘NZ Slims’ and ‘Septs’ cigarettes were seized in follow-up searches in Skibbereen, West Cork. A UK registered van was also seized.
Two Polish males and one Lithuanian male, all in their 30s, were interviewed and files are being prepared for consideration.
These seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the supply and sale of illegal cigarettes. If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding the smuggling or sale of illegal cigarettes or tobacco, they can contact Revenue in confidence on free phone number 1800 295 295.
*The cigarettes represent a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €175,500. This is assuming that they would have displaced the equivalent full tax paid quantity of cigarettes.
