One in Five Admit to Purchasing Illegal Smokes in Ireland

Those surveyed said they knowingly purchased smuggled cigarettes.

March 31, 2014

DUBLIN – There’s a thriving black market for goods in Ireland, with cigarettes among the most popular items.

“Dodgy traders selling cut-price tobacco, alcohol and fuel on the black market are making hundreds of millions of euro for the criminal underworld,” according to a recent study by accountancy firm Grant Thornton, writes the Independent.ie, adding that it’s costing Ireland’s economy about €1.5bn per year, including the loss of government revenue as tax is not being collected.

The news source notes that it's estimated that the smuggled cigarettes trade and fuel is worth about €337m, while the amount of money being laundered by criminal gangs is about €3bn.

Brendan Foster of Grant Thornton told the news source that “more needs to be done” to crack down on smuggling. "Our research estimates that illicit trade in fuel and tobacco alone is as much as €337m, with much of this going into criminals' pockets," he said. "Money laundering allows these illegal proceeds to penetrate the legitimate financial system."

Key findings from the report, a survey of 1,000 consumers and 200 retailers, include:

  • One in three consumers have knowingly acquired a pirated CD or video game.
  • About 23% have knowingly bought illicit cigarettes, 16% alcohol and 6% fuel.
  • About 72% of retailers think the government response to the threat of illicit trade has been too little.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement