Some 3.7t of various meat products were seized by officers from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Revenue in Dublin Port this week.

The meat was seized due to the fact that the products did not comply with EU food safety rules with potential impact on public and animal health, according to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

The food was seized on Tuesday last (January 29) as a result of a joint operation between Revenue’s Customs Service and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

In addition to the meat, revenue officers at Dublin Port also seized 960L of alcohol and 11,640 cigarettes, branded ‘Marlboro’, ‘Kent’ and ‘Pall Mall’, with a retail value of €19,100, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of €11,460.

The smuggled alcohol, cigarettes and meat were discovered when officers searched a foreign-registered truck that had arrived in Dublin from Holyhead, having begun its journey in Romania.

Separately, in routine operations over the course of Monday (January 28) and Tuesday (January 29) in Dublin Port, revenue officers seized 1,235L of beer, 14L of spirits, 80L of wine and 600 smuggled cigarettes, branded ‘Chesterfield’ and ‘Winston’, with a retail value of €5,700 and a potential loss to the Exchequer of €3,000.

The goods were discovered when officers conducted examinations of six vehicles that had arrived in Dublin Port from Poland, Lithuania and France.

These seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the illegal importation, supply and sale of alcohol and tobacco products in the shadow economy, according to the office.

If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding the smuggling or sale of illegal cigarettes or tobacco, they can contact Revenue in confidence on freephone number: 1800-295-295.