Tobacco.org

• 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.

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• £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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• NI tobacco smuggling 'widespread' 

The selling of smuggled tobacco is so widespread in Northern Ireland that almost nine in ten shopkeepers are aware of its sale in their area, it was revealed on Tuesday.

A new survey showed 87% of shopkeepers were aware of the sales in their area and 37% knew the smugglers were supplying to underage smokers.

It also found 68% of local corner shopkeepers believe a ban on tobacco displays in shops will drive more trade into the black market.

At the same time 68% of those polled said they believe cross-border shopping and tobacco smuggling will get worse over the coming year.

The survey was carried out by the Tobacco Retailers Association as the government considers a move than would ban all tobacco displays in shops in a bid to reduce smoking by the young.

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• 28,000 cigarettes seized in raids by Customs officials 

Almost 30,000 counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes have been seized from premises in north Belfast by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

During early morning raids at eight premises in north Belfast yesterday, Revenue and Customs officers, supported by the PSNI, seized 28,000 counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes and business records.

As part of an ongoing programme of visits to businesses across Northern Ireland, HMRC officers used new hand-held scanning equipment to quickly identify counterfeit or non UK-duty paid tobacco products.

The scanner detects covert security markings on the packaging, invisible to the naked eye, and gives an instant indication of counterfeit or smuggled tobacco.

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• U.S. businessman 'funded Real IRA soldier killers by smuggling cigarettes into Ireland' 

An American businessman has been accused of funding the Real IRA by masterminding a cigarette smuggling ring that has netted them hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The case highlights the criminal activities which underpin the funding of terrorism in Northern Ireland.

Roman Vidal, 57, arranged for shipments of millions of cigarettes from Panama to Dublin where they were collected by contacts linked to the terror group.

The Real IRA has claimed responsibility for the murder of two British soldiers in Antrim on Saturday. . . .

Vidal is accused of sending two massive shipments of cigarettes to Ireland which were sold on the 'black market' at a fraction of the cost of other cigarettes.

U.S. customs agents told a Miami court they were able to trace the shipments, hidden under wood flooring and insulation material, to gangs linked to the Real IRA.

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• Northern Ireland | Air cleaner as more quit smoking 

Air in public houses is cleaner and more people are trying to quit smoking, according to a review of Northern Ireland's smoke-free legislation.

The review also found that compliance with the legislation remained high.

Smoking is now banned in most enclosed work and public places and in vehicles such as buses and taxis.

Nicotine levels in bars have fallen by 92% since the ban was introduced and there was also a 94% reduction in average fine air particulate levels.

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• Northern Ireland | Cigarette display ban is approved 

The Assembly has approved a ban on the display of tobacco items in shops in Northern Ireland.

The Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said he wanted the ban to come into force late next year.

However, DUP politicians argued that it should be delayed until 2013 in order to give retailers the time to fund changes to their premises.

Mr McGimpsey argued that MLAs should not put "wealth before health" and that the ban would save lives.

"Currently in Northern Ireland about 9% of 11 to 16-year-olds regularly smoke," he said.

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• Skin cancer 'ups new cancer risk' 

Experts found people treated for melanoma were more than twice as likely to develop other, unrelated cancers than the general population.

The risk was also elevated - although not as much - for patients with other forms of skin cancer.

The study, led by Queen's University Belfast, features in the British Journal of Cancer.

It echoes previous more general research suggesting that one type of cancer raises the risk of developing another.

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• Tobacco sales to unders 18s banned in NI  

Northern Ireland today introduce a law making it illegal to sell cigarettes or other tobacco products to people aged under 18.

England, Wales and Scotland followed last October, Northern Ireland joins in after the Assembly passed the required legislation at the end of June, just before heading off for the summer recess. The Republic introduced the under 18 rule in 2004. . . .

Mr McGimpsey has also extended to Northern Ireland a Department of Health consultation seeking views on the future of tobacco controls, including those likely to impact on children's smoking such as advertising at point of sale and access to tobacco vending machines.

The consultation ends on September 8th.

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• Northern Ireland | Tobacco buying age to rise to 18 

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has announced that the legal age at which people can buy tobacco products will rise from 16 to 18.

The change will come into force on 1 September.

"It is clear that we must do all we can to deter our children and young people from taking up the smoking habit," said Mr McGimpsey.

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• Northern Ireland | Smoking ban 'has closed 100 pubs' 

More than 100 bars in Northern Ireland have closed since the introduction of the smoking ban, it has been claimed.

The Federation of Retail Licensed Trade said that 7% of Northern Ireland's pubs and bars had gone out of business since the ban's introduction a year ago.

Its chief execuitve Stephen Kelly said: "The much promoted view that non-smokers would be rushing to premises has not materialised.

"We expect another 100 to close next year."

The Federation of Retail Licensed Trade represents about 1,100 pubs, hotels and restaurants.

Mr Kelly also acknowledged some landlords had fared well since the ban's introduction.

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• Ulster drivers face ban on smoking at the wheel 

Northern Ireland's environment minister Arlene Foster confirmed yesterday that a ban on smoking while at the wheel is one of a series of measures aimed at cutting the relatively high death toll on the province's roads. According to police figures, 126 people died on the roads in Northern Ireland in 2006. Last year the Police Service of Northern Ireland said that figure had fallen to 112. . . .

Foster is understood to have been won round to banning smoking in cars and lorries after a court case connected to a fatal road crash in Northern Ireland in which two children died. In April 2006 Wayne Johnston was jailed for five years on two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one of causing grievous bodily injury.

He hit a group of children in west Belfast after he lit a cigarette which caused him to suffer a coughing fit. He killed eight year old Emma Lynch and Christopher Shaw, 11.

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• Northern Ireland | Smoking daughter 'hit with brush' 

A man has received a month's jail, suspended for a year, for hitting his daughter with a brush shaft for smoking.

Londonderry Resident Magistrate Barney McElholme said the man had a right to be concerned at his daughter smoking, but had no right to do what he did. . . .

The RM said children should be taken to cancer wards to see smoking's effects.

The father has the lung disease emphysema . . .

The magistrate also criticised actors and actresses who appear smoking on screen.

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