Jump to full article: Irish Examiner (ie), 2007-01-02
Author: Cormac O'Keeffe
Intro: CIGARETTE smuggling into Ireland has “gone through the roof” due to the emergence of a new form of highly organised trafficking from the Baltic states.
Figures show that so-called “ant smuggling” has resulted in a 240% rise in cigarette seizures in the last two years. Ant smuggling refers to the frequent trafficking of relatively small quantities of contraband.
Customs say there are now an average of 1,300 cigarette seizures every month.
“The number of seizures has gone through the roof, because we have a new phenomenon now called ‘ant smuggling’ from the new member states,” said Ursula O’Neill of Customs Investigations.
Jump to full article » |