Customs seize €13m at Irish air & sea ports

Officials praised for 10 years of foiling smugglers

CRIMINALS have been caught trying to smuggle €13million in cash through our air and sea ports over the past 10 years.

Revenue officials grabbed the money because they believed it was linked to the drugs trade and organised crime.

It is an offence to bring more than €10,000 in cash into the country undeclared and if you’re caught it can land you in jail or a €5,000 fine.

The total amount seized since 2009 has come to €12,867,730 but this is thought to be just a fraction of the true sums being smuggled.

The figures were obtained by Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy who praised the work of Revenue officers.

She said: “It is encouraging to see the diligence displayed by the Revenue Enforcement Officers in relation to the significant cash seizures by them at Irish ports and regional airports under the Proceeds Of Crime Act is paying off. Their

rigour and experience is proving our secondary and regional airports and sea ports seem not to be an easy avenue for criminals to channel cash out of the State by. Their role will become even more important postbrexit in the event of hard borders being imposed and staffing numbers are being bolstered ahead of that.”

A spokeswoman for Revenue said: “When officers encounter quantities of cash they suspect to be the proceeds of, or intended for use in, criminal activity, they can detain it.

“The enactment of the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005 extended the scope of the then existing cash seizure provisions, which had been limited to cash detected by an officer of customs and excise at import or export and suspected to be linked to drugs.

“When suspected criminal cash is detected by officials the owner is granted a full opportunity to explain its origin or intended use and has 48 hours to substantiate [it] before a detention order is sought from a judge of the District Court.”