Revenue officers seized a massive 4.3 million cigarettes at Rosslare Europort on Saturday after searching a truck arriving in Ireland.
A statement released by the Revenue today revealed that the bust was made during a search of a Dutch-registered truck after it had disembarked from a ferry arriving in from Cherbourg in France.
The brands of cigarettes discovered onboard the vehicle were ‘Marine Blue’ and ‘Marine Green’ with an estimated retail value of €3.2 million.
The seizure was part of an operation targeting the shadow economy and the supply and sale of illegal tobacco products.
According to officers, this represents a potential loss to the Exchequer of more than €2.5 million.
With the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner, officers say they were quickly led to the illegal shipment.
There is now an ongoing investigation into the source of the seizure and officials have questioned a Bulgarian national in his 40’s.
No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
The statement released today read: “Last Saturday (29/01/2022), as a result of routine profiling, Revenue officers seized 4.3 million cigarettes at Rosslare Europort.
“The cigarettes branded ‘Marine Blue’ and ‘Marine Green’ have an estimated retail value of €3.2 million, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of more than €2.5 million.
“The illegal cigarettes were discovered when Revenue officers stopped and searched a Dutch registered truck that had disembarked a ferry from Cherbourg, France.
“The search, which was carried out with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner, led to the discovery of the illegal cigarettes.
“A Bulgarian national in his 40’s was questioned.”
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.
