Criminals have been caught trying to sneak in ten times more dodgy cash through Dublin Port this year.
The seizures of cash jumped from a considerable €19,439 last year to a phenomenal €189,420 in 2019.
Revenue grabbed the money because they believed it was linked to the drugs trade, organised crime, or other serious criminal activities.
Dublin Live can reveal today that tens of thousands in cash stashes have been seized by customs officials for CAB (Criminal Assets Bureau) from criminals trying to sneak huge sums through airports and seaports over the past year.
They seized the money because they believed it to be the proceeds of crime.
It is an offence to bring more than €10,000 in cash into the country undeclared and if you’re caught it can land you in jail or with a fine of up to €5,000.
But customs officers working for Revenue can also question you over any sum over €1,000 and take it off you if they believe it could be linked to crime.
Dublin Port saw the most amount of money seized and it was a whopping increase this year compared to last year.
But this may only be a fraction of what is really being smuggled.
The figures were obtained by Social Democrats co-leader, Catherine Murphy, who praised the work of the Revenue officers in catching the sneaky criminals.
She also predicts that criminals could up their efforts with Brexit coming down the line at the end of next month when border restrictions will have to be strengthened again.
Ms Murphy told Dublin Live: “It is encouraging to see the diligence displayed by the Revenue Enforcement Officers in relation to the significant cash seizures by them at Irish Ports and Regional Airports under the proceeds of crime act is paying off.
“Their rigour and experience is proving that our secondary & regional airports and seaports seem not to be an easy avenue for criminals to channel cash out of the State by.
“Their role will become even more important in this country post-Brexit in the event of hard borders being imposed and staffing numbers are being bolstered ahead of that.”
A spokeswoman for Revenue told Dublin Live that their officers have the powers to search under special legislation.
“When Revenue officers encounter quantities of cash that they suspect to be the proceeds of, or intended for use in, criminal activity, they can detain and investigate it.
“The enactment of the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005 (POCA) extended the scope of the then existing cash seizure provisions, which had been limited to cash detected by an officer of customs and excise at import or export and suspected to be linked to drugs.
“The new POCA provisions widened the application of seizure powers to cash suspected to be linked to any criminal conduct and a specific power was provided for an officer of customs and excise to search for cash at import or export.”
She added: “When suspected criminal cash is detected by Revenue officials the owner of the money is granted a full opportunity to explain its origin or intended use and has 48 hours to substantiate same before a Detention Order is sought from a Judge of the District Court.”
