Detector dog Rua helps seize almost €4m worth of illegal cigarettes in Cork

Thanks to detector dog Rua, Revenue officers in the Port of Cork have seized 4.675 million cigarettes with an estimated value of almost €4m.

The seizure was made on Tuesday when Revenue officers examined an unaccompanied trailer arriving in Cork from Zeebrugge, in Belgium.

Branded ‘Lambert & Butler’ and ‘Richmond’, the illicit cigarettes represent what would have potentially been a loss to the Exchequer of €3.08 million, which, thanks to Rua, is nothing to be sniffed at.

The seizure of 4.675 million cigarettes will now see almost €4m in smugglers’ profits go up in smoke.

Investigations are ongoing.

Something of a star in the detector dog world, Rua helped with another seizure of illicit cigarettes in the Port of Cork in March, when 7.3 million cigarettes, worth approximately €6.1m, were discovered in another unaccompanied trailer from Zeebrugge.

A spokesperson for the Revenue Commissioners said at the time that seizure had also been made as a result of risk profiling and the good work of Rua, and was part of its ongoing operations targeting the sale and supply of illegal cigarettes and tobacco in the shadow economy.

If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue officials in confidence on 1800 295 295.