Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Finance the role played by Revenue customs service in the seizure of more than 120 million cigarettes from a vessel in Greenore, County Louth; the value of the cigarettes seized; if charges have been pressed against any of those arrested at the time; if a file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions; if he is satisfied that there was an appropriate level of co-operation between the customs authorities and the Garda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43071/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that Revenue's Customs Service led this particular operation, code named Operation Samhna; and was responsible for the initial identification of the suspect vessel, the MV Anne Scan. The other agencies brought on board at the planning stage of this multi-agency operation were An Garda Síochána, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Defence Forces including the Naval Service and the Air Corps, and also both Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs, Belfast, and the PSNI. In addition, the European Anti Fraud Agency, participated in order to co-ordinate international assistance and the necessary follow-up investigations abroad. All of the Irish agencies concerned participated fully in the operation and provided the necessary operational support based on their respective expertise. The estimated retail value of the consignment is around €46.7m.

Charges have not yet been preferred against any of the individuals arrested, as the investigation has not yet been completed. However, it is expected that a file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions in due course. As regards, the level of co-operation between Customs and An Garda Síochána, the Revenue Commissioners have assured me that the multi-agency approach is now standard practice in all large-scale fiscal smuggling operations and that, in this particular operation, the high level of co-operation contributed directly to the success achieved.