REVENUE OFFICERS at Dublin Port have seized 7.2 million cigarettes with an estimated retail value of €5 million.

The seizure, if sold on the streets, would represent a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €3.9 million, a Revenue spokesperson said.

“The illegal cigarettes branded ‘Richmond’ were discovered, with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner, in a container that had arrived into Dublin Port on a vessel from Rotterdam.  Investigations are ongoing.

“This seizure is part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the shadow economy and the supply and sale of illegal tobacco products,” she said. 

Separately Revenue officers in the Dublin Mail Centre seized 6kg of herbal cannabis, cannabis resin, cannabis infused edibles, ketamine, butane honey oil and 180 Diazepam tablets.

Detector Dog Bailey who was involved in the drugs seizure.

“The illegal drugs have a combined estimated value of almost €107,000 and were discovered in a number of parcels that originated in the USA, Canada, UK, Spain and the Netherlands.

“The parcels were declared as items such as documents, gifts, sports equipment, clothes, dog toys and kitchen utensils and were destined for various addresses throughout Ireland,” a spokesperson said.