Massive crackdown on counterfeit goods

Revenue seizures soar as Ireland is f looded with knock-off fashion items

THERE has been a huge increase in the number of knock-off designer handbags, contraband alcohol and oil seized by Customs officials, according to an analysis of new Revenue figures.

Data obtained by the Irish Mail on Sunday – which details the number of seizures over the last five years – shows a 240% increase last year in seized knock-off goods, to a value of almost €7.8m.

According to Mark Newman, an official with Revenue’s Customs Prohibitions and Restrictions section, there was an influx of knock-off Ireland soccer jerseys in the run-up to last summer’s European Championships in France, which could explain the abnormally high level of seizures in 2016. He explained: ‘The main counterfeit goods we see are handbags, runners and T-shirts. It depends on the fashion of the day but Adidas and Nike are always popular – sports gear is what we see most of. Then on the high end of things, we have the likes of Gucci, Michael Kors, Armani.

‘Generally, the goods are coming from the Far East, places like Hong Kong and Bangladesh, where there is cheap labour.’

While Revenue officials are accustomed to coming across designer handbags, a new, Irishbred problem – designer dogs – is currently in vogue.

Mr Newman said: ‘At the moment, we have a lot of issues with live puppies being smuggled out of the country to the UK market. In the same way you have designer handbags, you have designer dogs being bred, particularly for the UK.’

Traditionally, counterfeit goods would have been sold at car boot sales or by street traders but the online market place has changed this, making it harder for counter- feiters to be caught and giving them a much wider – potentially unknowing – customer reach.

Alcohol seizures have increased year on year for the last five years, with more than 110,000 litres of illegal alcohol confiscated last year alone.

That is an increase of 233% over five years.

In 2012, more than a million litres of oil was seized by Revenue but this dropped significantly to just over 200,000 litres in 2014.

However, since 2014, there has been an 84% increase in the volume of oil seized.

‘Sports gear is what we see the most of’ ‘Designer dogs being bred for UK market’

Almost 370,000 litres were confiscated last year with, an estimated value of nearly €250,000.

Between 2012 and 2016, Revenue officials seized €302m worth of illegal cigarettes, along with 23,195kg of tobacco.

Cannabis, at 4,289kg, was the most seized illegal drug, compared with 1,837kg of heroin and cocaine and 1,449kg of amphetamines, ecstasy and a number of other drugs. Almost €3m worth of medicinal products, €191,692 worth of food products, €46,500 worth of exotic animals and €24,000 of animal remedies were confiscated.

Some €122,710 worth of weapons, 7,128 vehicles and €4,000 worth of pornography were also seized by Revenue officials during the five-year period.