1.5m cigarettes seized at Dublin Port

A Customs official examines the haul at Dublin Port today

A Customs official examines the haul at Dublin Port today

Customs officers seized 1.5 million cigarettes at Dublin Port today.

The Benson & Hedges brand cigarettes are valued at €555,000, which equates to a potential revenue loss of €450,000.

The officials found the cigarettes in seven leaded crates of glass that arrived in a container from Valencia, Spain.

"The glass was used to disperse X-rays from the container scanner, and lead was used to avoid detection by X-ray," a revenue spokesman said.

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The container scanner provided an image that raised suspicions, however, he added.

The cigarettes will be shredded and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

Luke Cassidy

Luke Cassidy

Luke Cassidy is Digital Production Editor of The Irish Times