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Over 300,000 Cigarettes Seized In Westmeath Last Year

Friday, 23 July 2021 09:26

It was the second highest number confiscated by Revenue in Ireland.

There was a 260% increase in the amount of cigarettes seized by Revenue last year.

They recovered over 48 million of them in 2020 - compared to 13.4 million in 2019.

According to freedom of information figures, 97% of the cigarettes seized last year were in Dublin, while the next highest was 302,000 in Westmeath.

Ireland has one of the highest retail prices for tobacco in Europe, and so it's attractive for smugglers to try to import illicit cigarettes.

According to freedom of information figures, Revenue seized 48.2 million cigarettes last year.

That's well over three times as many as the 13.4 million in 2019.

97 per cent of the cigarettes seized last year were in Dublin.

The next highest was 302,000 in Westmeath, followed by 274,000 in Cork.

Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond says the increase is partly linked to the Covid pandemic.

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