Home - RAS

About RAS

Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS) was set up in June 2009 to represent retailers in the fight against the black market in Ireland.

We have almost 3,000 retail members around the country and 13 corporate sponsors.

Report suspicious trade of illicit cigarettes & tobacco in your area

Registered and legitimate retailers are competing directly with Ireland's rapidly growing tobacco black market.

If you have information and illegal cigarettes or tobacco, contact Revenue's confidential hotline. FREEPHONE 1800 295 295

Download our A3 print ready retailer awareness poster here.

Our Aims

Aim 1: Impose Fines

Minimum fines for cigarette smugglers and illegal cigarette sellers.

Aim 2: Raise Awareness

To raise awareness about cigarette smuggling and illegal cigarette selling among the public, media and political system and about the effects of illicit tobacco on retailers.

Aim 3: Instigate Legal Reform

To campaign for legislative reform and extra law enforcement resources.

Aim 4: Liaise with Law Enforcement

To liaise with the relevant law enforcement authorities.

Tweets by sayno2Smuggling

Action Plan

The RAS Charter: A ten point action plan to stamp out smuggling.

The unacceptable levels of cigarette and fuel smuggling in Ireland needs to be tackled in a multi-layered, cross jurisdictional manner, involving a wide range of Government departments and agencies. Tobacco and fuel should only be sold in registered retail outlets. Any other point of sale is illegal and should be dealt with as such.

10 Point Action Plan

1. STOP EXCISE DUTY INCREASES

A moratorium on further excise increases until such increases can be proven not to encourage smuggling as a result of price differentials.

2. MAKE THE PURCHASE ILLEGAL

We strive to make it illegal to purchase illicit cigarettes.

3. ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP

The establishment of a working group on illegal trade in Ireland in which all interested parties are invited to participate.

4. FULL USE OF RESOURCES

Full use of existing resource and an increase in same over time to allow the Revenue Commissioners, with An Garda Siochana, to enhance their efforts to tackle tobacco and fuel smuggling.

5. JOINT AGENCY TASK FORCE

Support, through resources pledged for An Garda Siochána and the Revenue Commissioners, for the work of the Joint Agency Task Force, set up under the terms of the 2015 A Fresh Start Agreement, to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime.

6. EXTENSION OF THE FINES ACT

An extension of the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act 2014 to cover all those deemed to have illegally smuggled cigarettes or fuel, regardless of that person’s means.

7. EXTENSION OF THE SCOPE OF REVENUE

An extension of the investigations scope of Revenue to non-registered retail outlets; for those outlets which are repeat offenders of selling illicit cigarettes and tobacco; and the serving of closure orders.

8. REPEAL MARKET LICENCES

A repeal of market licences by local councils where illegal goods have been found to be sold.

9. INCREASED INSPECTION

Increased inspections of non-tobacco and non-fuel retail shops by Environmental Health Officers.

10. REGULAR FUEL TRANSPORT CHECKS

Regular spot checking of fuel transports on the road for compliance with carbon tax and VAT legislation.

Illegal cigarettes 'huge threat' to retailers
Retailers Against Smuggling said the cigarette black market is not only causing a loss to the exchequer, but also severely denting the retail industry.
Pádraig Hoare
Irish Examiner
Revenue seizes 10m cigarettes worth almost €8m at Rosslare Europort
Retailers Against Smuggling said the seizure demonstrated that the illicit tobacco trade is continuing to grow in Ireland.
Colin Gleeson
The Irish Times
Retailers concerned about 'exceptionally active' black market in tobacco smuggling
The issue of tobacco smuggling remains a huge threat for registered and legitimate tobacco retailers whose legal cigarette trade can account for 20% to 30% of their business - Retailers Against Smuggling.
Alan Healy
Irish Examiner
SMOKED OUT | Revenue seize illegal cigarettes and tobacco worth €5.5m in Dublin Port
The seizure was welcomed by Retailers Against Smuggling, as spokesman Benny Gilsenan said: “The ongoing seizure of large consignments of illicit tobacco is a first-hand indicator of just how much demand for the black-market is growing.
Neasa Cumiskey
Sunday World
Retailers feel impact of record year for large-scale tobacco smuggling
Increase in large seizures of illicit tobacco and cigarettes points to lucrative black market for organised crime gangs.
Author
ShelfLife Magazine

RAS Team

A unified voice, RAS aims to halt and reverse the growth of the illicit trade in Ireland.

RAS is supported by corporate sponsors including: Applegreen; Barry Group; BWG Foods Ltd; Circle K; CPL Fuels Ireland; CSNA; DHL; Irish Tobacco Manufacturers Advisory Committee (ITMAC); NFRN; Primeline Group; Retail Excellence; RGDATA; and Stonehouse.

Benny Gilsenan

National Spokesperson

With over forty years experience in the grocery trade, Benny Gilsenan is an Irish retail expert. In 1965, Benny moved from Oldcastle to work in wholesale and opened his first and only shop on Emmet Street, right opposite Croke Park in November 1973.

What exactly is the scale of the problem? The black market damages livelihoods, hurts businesses and supports criminality. It is vital that we all work with retailers, An Garda Síochána and Customs to tackle this problem. Every euro spent on illegal products is one less euro to support your local economy. Now is the time to fight back and we can all help.

What can I do? Report suspicious activity and ask your local TD to tackle the black market now. Call the Revenue Confidential freephone: 1800 295 295. Contact you local TD or Senator about this issue.

Why should I help? The illicit trade in tobacco creates the greatest cost in terms of annual losses of revenue to the Exchequer. In 2018, approximately 23 million packs of illegal cigarettes were consumed in Ireland, represents a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately €211 million (Excise & VAT).