Almost 10 million illegal cigarettes worth more than €5.25 million were seized by Revenue officers with the support of An Garda Síochána in Slane, Co Meath, on Monday evening.
A container of the American Legend brand cigarettes, which had travelled from Vietnam via Singapore and Rotterdam, arrived into Dublin Port last Thursday.
The container was described on the manifest as “timber furniture”.
The cigarettes seized on Monday represent a potential loss to the exchequer of about €4.2 million.
Investigations into the importation of the cigarettes is ongoing.
Ongoing operations
Monday’s seizure in Slane was part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the supply and sale of illegal cigarettes.
The Revenue office is calling on businesses or members of the public who have any information regarding the smuggling or sale of illegal cigarettes or tobacco to contact them in confidence on free phone number 1800-295295.