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Statement attributable to the Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD, re Northern Ireland cigarette seizure
The seizures yesterday in Armagh and Louth – including 8 million cigarettes, tobacco products to the value of over €2.7 million as well as fuel-laundering machinery and cash – represent a significant success for law enforcement on both sides of the border and I offer my thanks and congratulations to all those involved.
They demonstrate the close practical cooperation between An Garda Síochána, the Revenue Commissioners and their counterparts in the PSNI and HM Revenue and Customs, and I welcome this successful large scale cooperation yesterday.
“The multi-agency Joint Agency Task Force established under the Fresh Start Agreement is making sustained and steady progress in combatting cross border criminal activity. We are seeing unprecedented levels of cooperation between law enforcement agencies North and South, in tackling cross-border crime of all types including organised burglary, drug crime, rural and farm crimes as well as smuggling.