Retailers Against Smuggling welcome seizure of 4.3m cigarettes at Rosslare Europort

Retailers Against Smuggling (RAS) welcomes the announcement by Revenue regarding the seizure of 4.3 million cigarettes at Rosslare Europort on Saturday, 29th January. The seizure had an estimated retail value of €3.2m representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of more than €2.5m.

This is the largest cigarette seizure by Revenue so far this year, following a record-breaking year for large-scale cigarette and tobacco smuggling in 2021. This latest seizure points to the continuation of a rapidly growing black market which Irish retailers are forced to compete with, as sophisticated criminal gangs take advantage of the tidy profits that can now be made from illicit tobacco.

RAS commends the ongoing work by Revenue officials in the fight against smuggling, particularly at our major points of entry through ports and airports. However, the issue of tobacco smuggling remains a huge threat for registered and legitimate tobacco retailers whose legal cigarette trade can account for 20 – 30 per cent of their business.