Above: Sniffer dogs Elvis and Stella
Revenue Officers seized over 192,000 unstamped cigarettes, 10kgs of tobacco and over 1,960 litres of alcohol when they carried out a search, under warrant, of a house in Durrow, Co Laois.
The raid was carried out on Tuesday of this week.
The detections were made with the assistance of Revenue detector dogs Elvis and Stella and were part of a joint intelligence-led operation involving Revenue’s Customs Service and An Garda Siochána.
The seized tobacco products, branded ‘Marlboro’, ‘Winston’, ‘NZ’, ‘Camel’, ‘Kent’ and ‘Excellence’, have an estimated retail value of €109,000, representing a potential loss to the exchequer of €89,000.
The alcohol products have an estimated retail value of over €41,000 with a potential loss to the exchequer of €31,000.
A man in his thirties was questioned at the scene.
Investigations are ongoing with a view to prosecution.
Yestersay, at Dublin District Court, Revenue Officers from Dublin Airport were granted a three month cash detention order by Judge John Lindsay.
This followed the seizure of €100,000 on Wednesday (01/08/2018) when, during an intelligence-led operation, Revenue Officers in Dublin Airport stopped and searched a man in his forties and a woman in her thirties travelling to Budapest via Dusseldorf.
The cash was found hidden in hand luggage. Revenue officers seized the cash suspecting it to be the proceeds of, or intended for use in, criminal activity.
These seizures are part of Revenue's ongoing operations targeting the shadow economy and the supply and sale of illegal tobacco and alcohol products.
If you know someone is evading tax or involved in smuggling, report it. Contact Revenue’s Confidential Freephone 1800 295 295.
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