Revenue seize 10 million illegal cigarettes worth nearly €8m at Rosslare Port

The illegal cigarettes, branded Richmond King Size, were discovered as a result of routine profiling when Revenue officers stopped and searched an unaccompanied trailer that had arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium.

Revenue officers used a mobile x-ray scanner to locate the cigarettes, which had an estimated retail value of €7.9 million, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of almost €6.2 million.

Investigations are ongoing.

This seizure is part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the shadow economy and the supply and sale of illegal tobacco products.

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.