Revenue seizes drugs, weapons and contraband worth €750k in two-week operation
Irish Revenue officers have seized drugs, alcohol, weapons and counterfeit goods worth over €750,000 across Dublin, the Midlands and Rosslare Europort over two weeks.
Revenue nets €750k in drugs, weapons and counterfeit goods across Ireland
Irish Revenue officers seized drugs, alcohol, weapons and counterfeit goods worth over three quarters of a million euros in a series of operations spanning two weeks, irishmirror.ie reports.
The haul — estimated at €276,000 in contraband alone — was recovered through risk profiling and intelligence-led operations in Dublin, the Midlands and Rosslare Europort.
Weapons and cash
A total of 520 weapons accessories were recovered during the operations. Items included a starter pistol, machete, samurai swords, an airsoft rifle, fireworks, roman candles, smoke bombs, flares, sparklers, crackers and various knives.
Cash of £28,010 and €6,895 was also detained, in accordance with orders issued by Waterford District Court.
Drug seizures
Officers recovered over 4.1kg of herbal cannabis, valued at more than €58,100, and over 3kg of cannabis resin, estimated at over €24,400. Detector dogs Sam, Mollaidh and Ciara assisted in identifying the parcels, which originated from the UK, Portugal, Spain, the United States, the Netherlands, Canada, Thailand and France, and were destined for addresses across Ireland.
A further 1.4kg of 4-Methylethcathinone, valued at over €73,100, was seized alongside a range of other illicit substances estimated at over €12,100. Those substances included cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, amphetamine, LSD, magic mushrooms, cannabis oil, edibles, mephedrone, 2CB and a number of other synthetic compounds.
Tobacco, alcohol and counterfeit goods
Revenue officers also seized tobacco products with an estimated retail value of over €14,500, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of over €11,400. Brands involved included Lucky Strike, Marlboro Gold, Marlboro Red, Chesterfield, Golden Virginia, Amber Leaf, L&M and John Player Blue.
Over 118 litres of alcohol — comprising wine, beer and spirits — were taken, with an estimated value of over €2,000 and a potential Exchequer loss of over €1,200.
Sixty-seven counterfeit items, confirmed by rights holders to have infringed intellectual property rights and valued at over €48,800, were also recovered. Brands affected included Rolex, TAG Heuer, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Hermes, Dior, Moncler, North Face, Canada Goose, Burberry, Nike, Adidas and Polo, among others.
Investigations ongoing
A Revenue spokesperson confirmed that investigations into all seizures remain ongoing. "These seizures are part of Revenue's ongoing operations targeting smuggling and shadow economy activity," the spokesperson said. "If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on 1800 295 295."
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)