An Irish-based gang is believed to have organised a shipment of tobacco seized by customs officials in Dublin this week. The haul of four tonnes of tobacco at Dublin Port is the largest seizure of smuggled tobacco, according to Customs and Excise officials.
The seizure, on Tuesday afternoon, followed a two-week operation, code-named Operation Lo-Lo, targeting load-on/ load-off cargo ships. No one has been arrested so far.
Officers from the Customs national drugs team were involved in the seizure of the Samson brand tobacco and a small quantity of Golden Virginia. The haul had a street price of £332,000, a customs spokesman said. The retail value of the consignment is estimated at £750,000.
The tobacco had been hidden in one of five containers officers searched on the Belgian-registered m.v. Yvette. The ship had travelled directly from the Belgian port of Antwerp.
More than 800,000 pouches of tobacco, packed on 12 pallets, were hidden behind plastic trays, which were stacked ceiling-high in the container. It is believed the tobacco was destined for distribution to street sellers in the Republic and Northern Ireland. The spokesman said the investigation was continuing.
