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Jail for smuggling 422,000 cigarettes

Summary

A 40‑year‑old Lithuanian named Renaldas Gruska was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for smuggling 422,860 cigarettes into Ireland. Gruska, who runs an import/export business with his wife, admitted that he was paid €700 to transport the cigarettes, concealed in a furnace, on a trailer that was first x‑rayed and then searched by customs officials at New Customs House, Dublin Port, on 5 November 2020. The cigarettes were identified as Minsk Capital brand. Revenue Officer Paddy Gibney informed the court that the state had been notified of the trailer's arrival and that customs officials discovered the hidden cigarettes during the search. The total tax loss, including excise duty and VAT, amounted to €231,727. Gruska pleaded guilty to evasion of excise duty. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the three‑year sentence. The case was prosecuted by Fiona McGowan BL and defended by Luigi Rea BL.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jail for smuggling 422,000 cigarettes. Charges or matters: evasion of a duty of excise on 422,860 cigarettes at New Customs House, Dublin Port, on November 5, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• November 5, 2020 Other
• 2021-02-12 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

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Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report