Revenue Seizes €289,000 Worth of Drugs, Counterfeit Goods and Contraband in Major Week-Long Operation

Revenue officers have seized contraband valued at over €289,000 in a series of intelligence-led operations across Dublin, the Midlands and Rosslare Europort during the past week, with detector dogs uncovering everything from cannabis to counterfeit Labubu figures.

The seizures, which took place from 4 August 2025, resulted from risk profiling and targeted operations that netted an extensive haul of illegal goods destined for addresses nationwide.

Cannabis formed the bulk of the drug seizures, with officers intercepting 6.16kg of herbal cannabis worth an estimated €123,840 and 3.57kg of cannabis resin valued at over €20,350. Additional illicit substances seized included various tablets worth over €5,000, comprising Benzodiazepine, Diazepam, Tapentadol, Zolpidem and Zopiclone, as well as other drugs valued at almost €8,000, including butane honey oil, edibles, oxycodone, psilocybe grow kits, cannabis oil, ketamine and methamphetamine.

The parcels containing illicit drugs originated from the USA, UK and Canada, with detector dogs Ciara and Enzo playing crucial roles in the discoveries.

Revenue officers also uncovered a significant counterfeit goods operation, seizing 200 fake Labubu figures worth €4,000 and 353 other counterfeit items valued at over €121,000. The fake goods, confirmed by rights holders to have infringed intellectual property rights, included branded items from Michael Kors, Adidas, Airpods, Canada Goose, Cartier, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nike and numerous other luxury and sporting brands.

Alcohol and tobacco smuggling operations were also disrupted, with officers seizing over 125 litres of wine, beer and spirits worth €1,580, representing a potential exchequer loss of €1,245. Tobacco products branded Neo Classic, Manchester, Rothmans, Marlboro Gold, Mayfair, Davidoff and others were seized with an estimated value of almost €5,000, representing over €3,540 in potential exchequer losses.

In a concerning development, four weapons were also discovered during the operations, including a butterfly knife, an air gun and smoke bombs, along with pellets.

The seizures form part of Revenue's ongoing efforts to combat smuggling and shadow economy activity across Ireland. With investigations continuing into all seizures, Revenue has encouraged businesses and members of the public to report any information regarding smuggling activities through their confidential hotline on 1800 295 295.

The successful operations highlight the effectiveness of intelligence-led enforcement, particularly with the assistance of detector dogs in identifying concealed contraband. For Cork residents, the interception of these goods before reaching their intended destinations across the country represents a significant disruption to criminal supply chains that often fuel local drug dealing and counterfeit markets.