Millions of cigarettes seized

We think Rua the sniffer dog deserves a tasty treat and a belly rub after this recent find on Leeside.

Earlier this month, 8 March, as a result of risk profiling and with the assistance of detector dog Rua, Revenue officers seized approximately 7.3 million cigarettes at the Port of Cork.

The illicit cigarettes, branded ‘Lambert and Butler’, were discovered when Revenue officers examined an unaccompanied trailer arriving from Zeebrugge in Belgium.

These illicit cigarettes have an estimated value of more than €6.1 million representing, Revenue said, a potential loss to the Exchequer of €4.8 million.

A spokesperson for Revenue said that investigations were ongoing.

They added: “This seizure is part of Revenue's ongoing operations targeting the sale and supply of illegal cigarettes and tobacco in the shadow economy. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on 1800-295295.”