A total of 52 million cigarettes with an estimated value of €16.2 million were seized by Customs officers last year, figures published by the Revenue Commissioners indicate. This compares with 50.7 million cigarettes seized in 2005.
The potential cost to the tax-payer of last year's seizures, in terms of unpaid taxes, was €12.7 million.
A Revenue spokesman said 138 people were convicted of cigarette smuggling offences during 2006 and fines totalling almost €59,000 were imposed by the courts. He said Customs officers at Dublin airport made the highest number of seizures and described the airport as "the primary import route for smugglers". Officers there were responsible for 1,951 seizures, comprising 22.7 million cigarettes and 269kg of tobacco.
"There are sniffer dogs at the airports specially trained to seek out tobacco, and these are working in the baggage handling area."
Meanwhile, security officials at Dublin airport seized 4,218 bottles of "high-value" liquids between last November 5th and December 22nd. In November an EU ban on liquids measuring more than 100ml in hand luggage, excluding duty free purchases, was introduced.
"High-value" refers to alcohol, perfume and cosmetics. "We keep the high-value items securely while the things like bottles of water or coke are binned," a spokesman for Dublin Airport Authority said.
He said that in that period, 343 bottles of wine, 859 bottles of spirits, 322 bottles of liqueurs, 1,916 bottles or cans of beer, 65 bottles of champagne, 276 miniature bottles of alcohol and 437 sets or bottles of unopened cosmetics/perfumes were seized. He said the Carers' Association was chosen by listeners of RTÉ radio's Gerry Ryan Showto benefit from these items.
