CUSTOMS' SUCCESS RATE RISING AS ANNUAL DRUGS HAUL HITS UKP46M

CUSTOMS officers seized UKP46m worth of drugs during the year almost six
times the UKP8m figure taken the year before.

In a number of major operations, Customs and Excise enforcement officers
also took in UKP31.8m worth of illegal cigarettes and another UKP805,000
worth of pipe and cigarette tobacco.

These included the capture of UKP16m worth of cigarettes the State's
biggest haul and one of Europe's biggest seizures.

The seizure of a shipment of 80 million cigarettes, as it was about to be
offloaded at Dundalk port at the beginning of the month, dealt a blow to an
overseas gang planning to net huge profits from the Christmas market.

Cigarette seizures for this year total 1,937, almost five times as many as
last year when officers made 403. More than 169 million cigarettes were
seized, worth UKP31,814,421 on the street and would have cost the revenue
authorities UKP25,138,778 in taxes.

These figures include postal seizures, which amount to a large number of
small hauls averaging between 200 and 600 cigarettes.

All seized cigarettes, which were found concealed in items ranging from
various items from tyres to plastic food containers, were shredded. Almost
three times as many seizures (181) of "roll your own" and pipe tobacco were
made this year compared with last year (61). This totalled 4,628kg of
tobacco worth UKP805,188 with a tax loss of UKP621,938.

There were 51 alcohol hauls this year, a drop on the 77 made in 2000. This
year, 43,050 litres were seized with a street value of UKP995,483 that
would have netted UKP811,419 in taxes.

A significant number of those caught smuggling in drugs last year were from
South Africa. Around 38 South Africans were in custody this year alone.

Some of the other hauls made by customs during the year include
pornographic videos, DVDs, magazines and images.

It also made a seizure in August of two protected turtle shells which were
brought in from West Africa.