Latest news with #CustomsService
The Journal
10 hours ago
- The Journal
Cannabis worth almost €3m seized in Limerick and sources say it was destined for foreign shores
ALMOST €3 MILLION worth of cannabis seized in Limerick yesterday was destined for foreign shores, Garda sources suspect. The drugs were seized by Revenue's Customs Service, in a 'controlled delivery', supported by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, and the Limerick Divisional Drugs Unit. The drug haul was delivered to a premises based at the Delta Retail Park, Ballysimon, Crossagalla, Limerick. No arrests were made, however the seizure has provided Revenue and Garda officers with further intelligence into how drugs are being transported to and from Ireland and onto other parts of the world. Sources said Gardai and Revenue Customs officers are in regular contact with international police agencies tracking deliveries of cocaine and cannabis through Ireland that are being transported off the island for foreign shores. Advertisement Some drug shipments from Brazil, Mexico and Spain, that land in Ireland are being transported onto the UK, Australia and back into mainland Europe, are also being returned to Irish shores for sale here. Thursday's seizure of cannabis, which was made under an intelligence-led operation, saw an estimated €2,940,000 worth of the illegal drug seized. According to a statement by Revenue, the massive seizure saw 147 kilograms of cannabis recovered. 'This seizure is part of Revenue's ongoing joint investigations involving organised crime groups and the importation, sale, and supply of illegal drugs,' a Revenue spokesperson said. 'If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding drug smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on 1800 295 295.' According to Revenue, investigations into the major seizure are still 'ongoing'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
13 hours ago
- Irish Times
Revenue seizes almost €3m worth of drugs in Limerick
Revenue officers have seized almost €3 million worth of herbal cannabis in Limerick . The 147kg seizure was made on Thursday as a result of a joint operation conducted by Revenue's Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and Limerick Divisional Drugs Unit. It was part of Revenue's ongoing investigations involving organised crime groups and the importation, sale and supply of illegal drugs. The haul was valued at €2.94 million. Revenue did not disclose the location or other details of the seizure.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- RNZ News
$7.5 million of meth found in unaccompanied backpack on San Francisco flight
Contents of the unaccompanied bag. Photo: Supplied / Customs Customs officers at Auckland International Airport have prevented about 25 kilograms of methamphetamine from hitting the streets. The illicit drug was in an unaccompanied backpack which had arrived on a flight from San Francisco, US on 14 June. The bag was referred to Customs by border partners after some inconsistencies in x-ray imaging. Upon further inspection, Customs officers located a vacuum-sealed package inside, which tested positive for methamphetamine. New Zealand Customs Service estimate the amount of methamphetamine that was found had an approximate street value of $7.5 million. Not only that, chief customs officer, Tracy Henderson said had the package managed to cross the border, it could have caused around $26 million in potential harm and cost to New Zealand. "Customs continues to work closely with our border agency colleagues to disrupt the organised criminal groups behind these drug importations," she said. "Border agencies work swiftly to investigate any suspicious activity through our airport. It's the sharp instincts of skilled frontline officers that continue to stop illicit drugs from making it into our communities." Henderson said it has been a busy year for the Auckland Airport team, and many of the successes were the result of the trust and respect amongst partner and border agencies.
Irish Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Revenue seize hundreds of parcels of illegal weight loss medication
Revenue have seized hundreds of parcels of illegal weight loss and other medical products, including items packaged as Ozempic, in operations over recent weeks. Revenue's Customs Service conducted a number of operations throughout the last few weeks targeting the illicit importation of weight loss and other medical products. These operations were conducted as a result of enhanced risk profiling techniques used by Revenue. In one such operation, assisted by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), a total of 85 shipments of illicit medical products were identified. This included items packaged as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. Further detections over the course of the operation resulted in the interception of additional products packaged as Tirzepatide. In a separate operation, conducted over the course of a two-week period, 635 detections were made whilst Revenue officers were examining parcels at premises in Dublin and the Midlands. These parcels contained a range of illicit medical products packaged as Semaglutide, together with substantial volumes of previously unknown Botox-type and tanning products believed to have been sourced via social media. These seizures reflect an emerging trend noted by Revenue officers, particularly those based at the national mail centres and courier hubs, who have seen a significant increase in packages containing mail order prescription-only medical products. The vast majority of packages intercepted contain weight-loss products addressed to private individuals who have purchased these products online. Larger consignments are occasionally detected at ports and airports. As at 31 May 2025, Revenue enforcement teams have seized almost 11,000 individual weight loss products during the course of various ongoing operations. This is a significant increase on the 2,300 individual products seized over the course of 2024. Our work in this space is supported by advanced risk analysis, profiling and the range of assets available to us. Our strategy also involves developing and sharing intelligence on a national, EU and international basis, and we continue to adopt an agile response to ensure that we deploy our resources optimally to counteract new risk areas as they develop. Consumers are reminded that it is important to take care when purchasing medical products online, as they may not be safe or effective. Consumers should also be cautious as they may suffer a financial loss if goods they purchase are subsequently seized because they are subject to restrictions. A spokesperson for Revenue said investigations in respect of all operations are ongoing.
Irish Independent
08-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Gardaí arrest two men (60s) after €10m of herbal cannabis seized in Co Clare
The 500kgs of the drug was discovered as part of an intelligence-led operation carried out yesterday. The Revenue's Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Clare Divisional Drugs Unit, as well as gardaí from the Limerick Division took part in the joint operation. Two men in their 60s were arrested by gardaí and are currently detained at Garda stations in Clare and Limerick under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice Drug Trafficking Act 1996. A Garda spokesperson said a raid was carried out on a residential property where two pallets containing over 500kgs of cannabis herb, valued at more than €10 million, were recovered "The seized cannabis will be sent for analysis to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI),' the spokesperson added. 'Investigations remain ongoing and further updates will follow.' Gardaí said the seizure forms part of Operation Tara, the enhanced national anti-drugs strategy, which was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in July 2021. The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels - international, national, local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs. Revenue added in a statement that the seizure is part of ongoing joint investigations involving organised crime groups and the importation, sale and supply of illegal drugs 'If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding drug smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on phone number 1800 295 295,' a Revenue spokesperson said.
