Tobacco.org

Smoking advocate to continue fight  

A BANGOR man has vowed to continue his battle to overturn the smoking ban despite hitting a legal hurdle. Chris Carter, of the Smokers Rights Movement UK-Ireland, has been fighting the ban for two years after he became the first person in north Down to be issued with a penalty ticket for smoking in a public place.

Mr Carter, 57, a former security employee, from Dufferin Avenue, Bangor, wants Judge Grant to state the legal reasons for dismissing his appeal against a £250 fine.

But in the Appeal Court in Belfast on Friday Mr Carter, who is conducting his own case, was told that the court had not the power to compel Judge Grant to state his reasons in writing.

"That power lies with the Judicial Review Court," explained the Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan.

He told Mr Carter: "To ensure that you can proceed with your application we will adjourn the matter generally to enable you to take the steps you need to take."

Jump to full article »

Smoking ban battle hits hurdle 

Chris Carter, of the Smokers Rights Movement UK-Ireland, has been fighting the ban for two years after he became the first person in north Down to be issued with a penalty ticket for smoking in a public place.

Mr Carter, 57, a former security employee, from Dufferin Avenue, Bangor, wants Judge Grant to state the legal reasons for dismissing his appeal against a �250 fine.

But in the Appeal Court in Belfast today Mr Carter, who is conducting his own case, was told that the court had not the power to compel Judge Grant to state his reasons in writing.

Jump to full article »

• Operation ‘Samhna’ : Potentially the largest seizure of cigarettes ever 

A multi agency operation, code named ‘Samhna’, headed up by Revenue’s Customs Service, is currently underway in Greenore Port, Co Louth, and surrounding area.

The operation, targeting the suspected criminal activities of an organised crime group operating both north and south of the border, involved the surveillance of a general cargo vessel M/V Anne Scan, which sailed from the Philippines on 15/09/2009 for Greenore Port, arriving at approximately 0600 hours on Monday, 26/10/2009, carrying a cargo declared as ‘animal feed’. Officers kept the vessel under surveillance, as they suspected that a large consignment of contraband cigarettes was concealed within the cargo.

Following the discharge of part of the cargo from the vessel earlier this morning onto awaiting trucks, which were allowed onwards to the importer’s premises, the multi agency task force, involving Officers of Revenues Customs Service and An Garda Siochana, moved in and raided several premises in the Co. Louth area, in addition to mounting an operation on the vessel itself. A large consignment of contraband cigarettes has been confirmed, estimated to be in excess of 120m cigarettes with a retail value of about €50m and a potential revenue at risk of approximately €40m. Several persons have been arrested at various locations by the Gardai for questioning.

The operation in the Republic of Ireland involved Officers of Revenue’s Customs Service, An Garda Siochana, The Criminal Assets Bureau, the Irish Naval Service and Air Corps and in Northern Ireland, Officers of HM Revenue & Customs and the PSNI. In addition the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), which was also involved, will co-ordinate the international enquiries which will form part of the follow-up investigations. It is estimated that in excess of 150 Officers from the various Agencies participated in the field in today’s operation.

Jump to full article »

• £45m cigarettes haul was first of five planned runs in audacious smuggling scheme  

The cargo ship seized with a record £45m of illegal cigarettes on board was on the first in a series of five planned voyages from the Philippines to Ireland, it can be revealed.

An audacious plan to land a total of £200m of cigarettes in multiple shipments at Greenore, Co Louth, was foiled when Customs officers seized the MV Anne Scan.

Nine men arrested as part of the Customs Service operation have now been released and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, gardai said last night.

Security sources said last night it was their belief the shipment was a maiden run in a planned series of up to five huge shipments from the Philippines of illegal cigarettes hidden in animal feed.

“The intention of this Irish gang, with others contributing funding in return for big profits, was to move a shipment every two months, we think to flood Ireland and the UK with cheap cigarettes and make big, big money,” said one senior officer.

Jump to full article »

Nine freed in cigarette smuggling inquiry  

ALL NINE men who were arrested in connection with the seizure of tens of millions of cigarettes in Greenore Port, Co Louth, on Tuesday have been released.

A statement from the Garda Press Office last evening confirmed the release, and said a file was being prepared for the DPP.

The nine men include seven Irish nationals aged between 19 and mid-40s, one Lithuanian in his 50s and one Ukrainian in his 40s. They were held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at Garda stations in counties Louth and Monaghan.

Customs and Revenue officers yesterday began the painstaking task of stripping the vessel containing the haul, the MV Anne Scan, and counting what officials suspect amount to 120 million cigarettes, worth about €50 million.

The ship is a general cargo vessel some 80m in length which is German-owned but was chartered from the Philippines.

Jump to full article »

Early introduction of ban does little to reduce smoking rates  

MORE PEOPLE continue to smoke in the Republic than in Northern Ireland, despite the earlier introduction of the smoking ban here, according to new research.

The One Island - One Lifestyle? report, which compares the health of individuals living on both sides of the Border, shows the introduction of the workplace smoking ban in the Republic in 2004 has done little to reduce overall smoking rates.

The study also reveals that despite having a reputation as a nation of drinkers, people in the South drink considerably less than their near neighbours.

The new report was produced by the division of Population Health Sciences at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) on behalf of the Department of Health and Children. It compares and contrasts two earlier studies, the Slán 2007 survey - carried out by a research consortium involving NUI Galway, the RCSI, the ESRI, and University College Cork - and the Northern Ireland Health and Social Wellbeing Survey (NIHSWS 2005), conducted by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

According to the study, the success of the Republic's smoking ban has primarily been in reduced risks from passive smoking rather than in achieving a fall in overall smoking rates.

Jump to full article »

Northern Ireland | Millions of illegal cigs captured 

A massive cigarette-smuggling operation by a cross-border criminal gang has been smashed.

In what was described as the biggest seizure in the UK and Ireland, more than 120 million cigarettes were seized on a ship at Greenore, County Louth.

About 150 law enforcement officers from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were involved in the operation.

Two men from County Armagh were among nine people arrested in County Louth. The cigarettes are worth 50m euros.

The ship had left the Philippines on 15 September carrying a cargo declared as animal feed. . . .

HM Revenue and Customs spokesman John Whiting said the operation targeted a suspected organised crime group operating on both sides of the Irish border

Jump to full article »

• Smoking debate sparks new row 

Smokers are being told to stub it out in their OWN homes before any visit by council staff. The move by Moyle District Council is designed to protect employees from exposure to second-hand smoke.

But it was slammed as "ludicrous" last night by lobby group Forest, who warned other local authorities across Northern Ireland were likely to follow suit.

The smoking ban, introduced in May 2006, covers all enclosed public places as well as the workplace.

But the legislation did not include any reference to extending it to people's homes.

The new policy in Moyle, which covers areas including Ballycastle, Cushendun and Bushmills, stipulates:

"Where council employees are required to work or visit other premises that are not entirely smoke-free, all reasonable arrangements will be made to minimise exposure to second-hand smoke.

Jump to full article »

Man jailed over 6m cigarette haul 

A man from Fermanagh has been sentenced to 30 months in prison over the seizure of nearly six million cigarettes at Dover docks in Kent.

Border Agency officers found the haul, in a load supposed to be carrying frozen apples, on a lorry disembarking a Calais ferry on 27 August 2008.

Jump to full article »

Driving instructor wins smoke bid 

A driving instructor has won the right to smoke in her own car.

Lynda Wright successfully challenged a fixed penalty fine issued by Armagh Council. She had been fined twice before and faced paying up to £1,000.

Solicitor Oisin Toner said the fine was overturned because she was on her own in the car on a personal errand.

Jump to full article »

Nine million 'counterfeit cigarettes' seized in Belfast  

Almost nine million suspected counterfeit cigarettes were seized in Belfast today.

The haul, which originated in China, would have cost the taxpayer an estimated �2m (€2.2m) in lost excise duty if it had not been intercepted, according to customs officials.

The cigarettes, which carried the Regal King Size brand, were discovered in a 40ft container in the city’s docks this morning by officers from the UK Border Agency.

Jump to full article »

Blaze damages cigarette factory 

The fire broke out at Gallagher's cigarette factory in Ballymena on Sunday

A three-storey high warehouse at Gallaher's cigarette factory in County Antrim has been destroyed in a fire.

More than 50 firefighters and 10 appliances fought the blaze at Galgorm Road, Ballymena, on Sunday evening.

The building was gutted in the blaze. No-one was injured. Peter O'Reilly from the Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire proved difficult to contain.

Jump to full article »

Cigarette factory goes up in smoke  

Firefighters were tackling a serious blaze at Gallahers cigarette factory in Ballymena into the early hours of this morning.

The blaze broke out in an outbuilding on the site in Lisnfillan outside the town around 8pm.

As it took hold, eyewitnesses reported being able to see flames from a mile and a half away. However, production in the main factory of the Galgorm Road site was undisturbed. . . .

It is understood the company had intended to demolish the outbuilding.

Jump to full article »

• Foyle and West | Illegal cigarette sales defended 

A Londonderry retailer has defended selling illegal cigarettes and tobacco.

"Legal ones are so expensive, it's the only way we can survive, we're in competition with houses that sell them so if we don't they go elsewhere."

The man, who wants to remain anonymous, is the owner of one of 30 premises raided in Derry. Over 21,000 cigarettes were seized from his store alone.

About 50,000 contraband cigarettes and 10kg of illegal tobacco was seized in the customs operation on Wednesday.

The sale of illegal tobacco costs the taxpayer an estimated £3bn annually.

John Whiting of Revenue and Customs said the illegal trade makes millions of pounds for criminals every year.

Jump to full article »

Smokers urged to seek help in quitting  

Over 21,000 smokers in Northern Ireland set a quit date last year, according to the Department of Health.

The figures revealed around half those trying to kick the habit succeeded.

Nicotine replacement therapy was the most popular aid but there are still around 350,000 smokers in Northern Ireland.

During 2008/09 21,272 people set a quit date through the smoking cessation service.

This was a decrease of 1% on the same period last year.

Jump to full article »