Revenue seized a combined €21 million in illicit alcohol and tobacco products last year.
The figures come from the 2017 Annual Report that Revenue released on Tuesday afternoon 25 April 25.
The report breaks down that an estimated 34 million cigarettes and 1768 kilogrammes of tobacco were seized, valued at €20 million (combined estimate). Seizures of 95,021 litres of illicit alcohol equated to €1 million.
The report states that trade in illicit alcohol and cigarettes ‘represents a serious risk to the Exchequer, undermines health policy and funds organised crime’. The seized cigarettes represent a potential loss to the Exchequer of over €16 million in tax and duty.
A large-scale counterfeit vodka production plant was uncovered in November and up to 586 litres of finished product was seized, as well as 4000 litres of raw product, which would produce 12,000 litres of finished product according to revenue.
The goods seized in this plant alone, according to the report, would represent a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €300,000.
Revenue chairman Niall Cody spoke at an event in Dublin Port last June and said that ‘Revenue works at a national level in collaboration with An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the Naval Service and engages at an international level in on-going actions aimed at intercepting and preventing drug trafficking, fuel fraud and the flow of smuggled tobacco and cash.’
Recently Revenue seized up to 200,000 unstamped cigarettes and 30 litres of alcohol in Cork. The bust was worth over €12,600, with a potential loss of €9,800 to the Exchequer
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
