The Revenue detected196,000 cigarettes and 150kg of tobacco with the help of detector dogs, Gus and Kelly.
Revenue conducted an operation yesterday and seized tobacco products worth €220k, €28k in cash and a vehicle.
Their searches were carried out under warrant at several premises in the Dublin 11 area.
Illegal cigarettes such as ‘Richmond, ‘Excellence’ and ‘NZ’, and the tobacco branded ‘Flandria’ and ‘Virginia’ were seized yesterday. These have a retail value of €220,000, which Revenue estimates could result in a loss of €178,000 to the Exchequer.
In addition to these illicit products, revenue officials also found €28,000 and $1,300 in yesterday’s raid.
Revenue suspects that these are proceeds of criminal activity or intended for its use. And this is detained by Revenue in accordance with proceeds of crime legislation.
The court directed the Revenue officials to conduct further investigation in this regard. To that end, Judge Paula Murphy at Dublin Metropolitan District Court ordered them three months’ cash detention.