More than €742,000 worth of contraband was confiscated by Revenue Customs Officers
Weapons and other contraband seized by Revenue (Image: Revenue )
With a surge in packages entering the country for the festive season, Revenue officers have been hard at work screening everything that comes through customs to ensure that no contraband or illicit packages make it through. In the week leading up to Christmas, more than €742,000 worth of contraband was seized by the State body during various operations.
The seizures were carried out in Dublin, the Midlands, Shannon Airport, and Rosslare Europort last week. The detections were made as a result of risk profiling and intelligence-led operations.
Among the items seized by Revenue were a haul of herbal cannabis at Shannon worth an estimated €280,000, which was found by detector dogs Brody and Gus. A ‘less-than-lethal’ handgun was also seized alongside tear gas rounds, pava rounds, kinetic projectiles, and 10-round magazines. A number of illegal fireworks were also seized
The handgun, a Byrna LE launcher, is a less-lethal firearm that shoots small, hard plastic projectiles. They are comparable to airsoft guns, but strike with well over twenty times the force, making them illegal in Ireland.
Revenue’s seizures included the following:
21.1kg of herbal cannabis, with an estimated value of over €423,690,10kg of cannabis resin, with an estimated value of over €71,838,0.5kg of magic mushrooms, with an estimated value of over €10,825,Various other illicit drugs, with an estimated value of over €3,425,145 counterfeit items with an estimated value of over €203,275,Tobacco products, with an estimated value of almost €280, and representing a potential loss to the exchequer of almost €210,45 litres of alcohol with an estimated value of almost €670, representing a potential loss to the exchequer of almost €370,290 weapons, with an estimated value of over €2,550, and£5,260 sterling and €1,740 euros in cash.
Parcels containing cannabis and other illicit drugs originated from Canada, UK and the USA and were set to be delivered to various addresses nationwide. The drugs included cannabis oil, edibles, assorted tablets (Tapentadol, Diazepam, Zopiclone and Zolpidem), cannabinoid vapes/ liquid, and cannabis gummies.
The counterfeit goods were seized after they were confirmed by the rights holder to have infringed on intellectual property rights. They included fake goods imitating Adidas, Asics, Calvin Klein, Canada Goose, Chanel, Chloe, Christian Dior, Coach, Corteiz, Crocs, Dr Martens, Fendi, Goyard, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Louis Vuitton, Moncler, New Balance, Nike, North Face, Omega, On Cloud, Piguet, Ralph Lauren, Stone Island, Stussy, Timberland and Ugg.
These seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting smuggling and shadow economy activity. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on 1800 295 295.