326 weapons, a crocodile head and a turtle shell seized by Revenue last year

MORE than €32m worth of illegal cigarettes, 326 weapons, as well as a crocodile head and a turtle shell were among the seizures by the Revenue Commissioners last year.

There were also 40 seizures of cash totalling €1.4m as well as €44.85m worth of drug seizures, including medicinal products.

A detailed list of operations provided under freedom of information shows 3,132 separate seizures of more than 48.2 million cigarettes, worth a combined €32.8m, were made by Revenue.

Another 1,304 consignments of loose tobacco were also seized, weighing more than seven tonnes and with a value of €4.25m.

Massive quantities of booze were also found by Revenue, with 1,808 separate seizures of 764,174 litres of alcohol worth €4.17m.

There were operations targeting illicit mineral oil and oil laundries, with more than 60,000 litres of fuel seized, according to the records.

Revenue said 499 vehicles were taken into its custody, with five options available for their disposal if the owner did not make the car compliant.

It said the methods considered were prioritised as: use by Revenue; use by gardaí or the Defence Forces; sale by tender; sale for spare parts; or sale for scrap.

Also seized were 85 packages of meat or meat products, 160 medicinal products and a small number of consignments of illegal porn (fewer than 10).

Revenue also listed the seizure of 33 trailers, 326 weapons and 430 of what were classified as “other” illegal goods.

There were a small number of seizures of exotic items, including one crocodile head and vintage antique African carved heads worth €340.65.

There was also a “possible bone/ivory item” worth €100 found, as well as a single turtle shell with a value thought to be around €50.

Revenue drug hauls included 5,053 individual packages or consignments of cannabis, weighing 1.4 tonnes and with a value of €28.6m.

There were 161 separate seizures of cocaine or heroin, with a combined weight of 123kg and a value of €10.22m.

Also listed were 10,500 separate seizures of amphetamines, ecstasy, other drugs including medicinal products, weighing three tonnes, valued at €6.03m.

Revenue said the cost of storage of seized illegal goods at the State Warehouse last year was €680,448, broadly in line with costs in 2019.

It said it had spent €217,022 on alcohol destruction, and another €38,889 on the shredding of tobacco products and intellectual property right goods such as counterfeit designer clothes.