Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS) have congratulated the Revenue Commission and Gardaí for their successes in seizing illegal tobacco, but warned that this is just the “tip of the iceberg.”
The retail group has warned that the increase in seizures is simply a factor of the increase in illegal, non-duty paid tobacco in circulation in the state.
RAS has now called on the new government to commit to tackling smuggling in Ireland.
‘Out Of Control’
Headline figures released by the Revenue Commissioners show that Irish authorities seized €128 million worth of illegal tobacco in 2024, compared to €63 million in 2023.
This means that the value of seizures doubled in just one year, based on figures from Revenue’s Headline Results Publications for 2023 and 2024.
RAS national spokesman Benny Gilsenan, who is also a retailer on Dublin’s northside, said, “€128 million was only the tip of the iceberg.
“Tobacco smuggling is out of control in Ireland. The country is being engulfed by a tsunami of smuggling.”
The Revenue Commissioners published a survey in 2023 which found that some 34% of cigarettes in circulation in Ireland were non-duty paid.
The 2024 seizures data suggests that illegal smuggling is particularly acute in the capital region, with 58% of all seizures in 2024 occurring in Dublin.
‘Posing Serious Risk’
RAS has called for more resources to detect smuggling by organised criminal gangs, but it warned that the focus on large-scale seizures must also be matched by a new drive to tackle widespread non-compliance with duty-free travel allowance.
A new survey from Ireland Thinks on behalf of RAS found that the proportion of all those purchasing cigarettes who bought them while abroad has increased from 45% to 58% between March and November 2024.
This indicates a surging trend towards increased import of cigarettes in Ireland.
Due to a lack of checks and enforcement at Irish ports and airports, passengers can walk through arrivals with thousands of non-paid cigarettes in their luggage.
They can then illegally sell these smuggled cigarettes on the black market, taking business away from legitimate Irish retainers.
The Irish exchequer, in turn, misses out on tax revenue.
RAS have called on the new government to tackle the rising illicit trade in cigarettes, which it says is “posing serious business risks to small Irish retailers, from convenience stores and forecourts to local pharmacies.”
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