The Revenue Commissioners are responsible for tackling the illicit trade in oil and tobacco products, and for dealing with counterfeit products that are being imported from or exported to countries outside the European Union. As I indicated in my reply to the Deputy’s Questions Nos. 55 and 56 of 21 November 2012, the Revenue Commissioners attach a high priority to combating criminal activities of these kinds, and are committed to continuing the extensive enforcement work that they undertake to detect and seize illicit products and to prosecute those engaged in illegal activities. They are conscious also of the need for this ongoing activity to be complemented by the development of innovative ways for dealing with this criminality, and are, for example, engaged at present, in cooperation with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, on work to obtain a new oil marker. Details of the quantities of oil and tobacco products seized in each of the years from 2009 to 2012, broken down by reference to the Revenue Commissioners’ Regions, are given in Table 1 below. Table 2 details the numbers of convictions for offences relating to illicit oil and tobacco products and counterfeit alcohol, disaggregated on the same basis, during that period. Table 3 gives the total numbers of seizures of counterfeit products by the Revenue Commissioners, and the numbers of items seized, in those years. It has not been possible, in the time available, to provide a regional breakdown of those data.
Table 1
Seizures of Illicit Fuel and Illicit Tobacco Products
|
Region/Year
|
Mineral Oil
|
Cigarettes
|
Other Tobacco Products
|
|
Dublin
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
272,300 litres
|
82,728,113
|
3,617 kg
|
|
2011
|
75,910 litres
|
78,412,634
|
7,069 kg
|
|
2010
|
16,575 litres
|
98,474,429
|
1,398 kg
|
|
2009
|
82,520 litres
|
81,910,216
|
9,452 kg
|
|
East South East
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
95,930 litres
|
9,775,509
|
963 kg
|
|
2011
|
73,100 litres
|
8,107,651
|
3315 kg
|
|
2010
|
7,050 litres
|
7,150,076
|
316 kg
|
|
2009
|
9,590 litres
|
7,048,071
|
380 kg
|
|
South West
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
28,130 litres
|
1,738,953
|
433 kg
|
|
2011
|
30,337 litres
|
12,611,764
|
576 kg
|
|
2010
|
27,600 litres
|
31,493,729
|
1,303 kg
|
|
2009
|
8,500 litres
|
3,645,684
|
284 kg
|
|
Border Midlands West
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
683,263 litres
|
1,351,935
|
264 kg
|
|
2011
|
866,084 litres
|
9,955,040
|
199 kg
|
|
2010
|
276,344 litres
|
41,313,937
|
351 kg
|
|
2009
|
184,107 litres
|
125,922,257
|
337 kg
|
Table 2
Convictions
|
Region/Year
|
Cigarette Smuggling
|
Cigarette Selling
|
Mineral Oil Offences
|
Laundered Fuel offences
|
Counterfeit Spirits Offences
|
|
Dublin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
37
|
23
|
24
|
-
|
-
|
|
2011
|
79
|
19
|
48
|
-
|
1
|
|
2010
|
82
|
7
|
71
|
-
|
-
|
|
2009
|
118
|
7
|
51
|
-
|
4
|
|
East South East
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
4
|
7
|
29
|
-
|
1
|
|
2011
|
2
|
7
|
27
|
-
|
-
|
|
2010
|
2
|
10
|
14
|
-
|
1
|
|
2009
|
2
|
2
|
14
|
3
|
1
|
|
South West
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
12
|
31
|
53
|
-
|
5
|
|
2011
|
23
|
17
|
37
|
-
|
1
|
|
2010
|
3
|
19
|
56
|
-
|
1
|
|
2009
|
1
|
8
|
59
|
-
|
3
|
|
Border Midlands West
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
3
|
15
|
102
|
2
|
1
|
|
2011
|
-
|
14
|
113
|
2
|
-
|
|
2010
|
10
|
5
|
91
|
4
|
4
|
|
2009
|
26
|
3
|
59
|
3
|
-
|
Table 3
Seizures of Counterfeit Goods
|
Year
|
No. of Seizures
|
Quantity of Items
|
|
2012*
|
5,071
|
120,454
|
|
2011
|
4,166
|
146,472
|
|
2010
|
1,278
|
66,852
|
|
2009
|
1,019
|
462,993
|
(* To 30 November)
