Written answers

Thursday, 19 November 2009

Department of Finance

Illicit Trade in Tobacco

5:00 pm

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of ships boarded and searched in the port of Sligo in the years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and up to 31 October 2009 by Revenue and customs and excise; the quantities of illegal cigarettes found as a result of these searches; the number of visits made to street markets in counties Sligo and Leitrim in search of illegal cigarettes from 2005 to 31 October 2009; the number of full time customs and excise staff assigned solely to these duties in 2005 to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42415/09]

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the risk posed by the smuggling of illegal tobacco products at Sligo Port and in the counties of Sligo/Leitrim is continuously assessed. The development of information and intelligence is critical to the detection of such activity, and enforcement action is selective and targeted, based on the analysis and evaluation of seizure trends, various risk indicators and specific intelligence, both national and international. A selection of vessels have been targeted by customs in Sligo Port for the years in question. This has involved profiling the movements and previous ports of call of arriving vessels, carrying out covert surveillance, identifying crew members, interviewing captains and other responsible ships officers, and undertaking search operations. However, it is not the policy of the Revenue Commissioners to publish details of such enforcement activities, as this could prejudice current or future operations.

I am further advised by the Revenue Commissioners that street markets in counties Sligo and Leitrim are covertly monitored on an almost weekly basis by enforcement officers seeking to identify the illegal sale of smuggled or counterfeit tobacco products. The same policy concerning the publication of details of such activity applies.

For the years in question, up to the present, there have been eight Revenue personnel based in Sligo and assigned to enforcement duties for both customs and excise. Their deployment takes account of available intelligence, identified trends and changing patterns of evasion. Their duties include the enforcement activities mentioned already, together with the prevention and detection of illegal drug smuggling at ports and airports, through the postal/courier services and along the coastline. They are also active in other anti-evasion activities. The level of staffing involved in enforcement is kept under review in the context of the Commissioners' overall staffing complement and Government policy on public service numbers.

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