REVENUE HAS SEIZED smuggled alcohol worth €6,800 at Dublin Port today, as part of a routine inspection.

The alcohol, over 530 litres worth, was found hidden in a consignment of soft drinks and snacks that had arrived from Portugal.

If the alcohol had been sold here, it would have cost the Exchequer €3,500 in lost tax income, Revenue said.

In a separate operation, 18 litres of suspected counterfeit vodka were seized after a search of a premises in north Cork yesterday.

Gardaí attended the scene with Revenue officers, and a number of counterfeit clothing items were also discovered.

An Irish man in his 30s was questioned at the time.

Revenue said that these searches are part of its ongoing efforts to target the sale and supply of illegal and counterfeit alcohol.

It added that anyone tempted to buy cheap alcohol, tobacco or other items from an irregular source should consider if what they’re being sold may be counterfeit.

The 18 litres of counterfeit vodka were seized in Cork. Source: Revenue

Counterfeit vodka can be particularly dangerous, as it “often contains high quantities of methanol, a poisonous chemical that can cause breathing difficulties, liver damage or blindness”, Revenue said.

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