This article is from page 3 of the 2010-01-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
show that there were 19 drugs seizures at the airport during 2009, which amounted to a combined value of €258,704. This was a fall from 28 seizures 1n 2008, valued at €411,487. Nine of the seizures were herbal can-
nabis; five were cannabis resin; three were cocaine and two were ampheta- mine. The cocaine was valued highest, with the three seizures combined val- ued at €151,340. The herbal cannabis was worth €87,660; the amphetamine was valued at €15,000, while the can- nabis resin was worth €4,704.
Last year, there were three significant seizures of cash at the airport – totalling €157,064 – which led to investigations being launched by Customs officials.
There were five weapons’ seizures last year, which were valued at €1,035.71 in total. There had been four weapons
seized in 2008.
While the number of cigarette sei- Zures increased last year – from 311 to 396 – the actual amount of cigarettes seized actually fell, from 1,113,675 to 791,796. The cigarettes seized in 2009 were valued at €343,189.90, which was an increase on €324,636.30 in the previous year. These were seized from passengers who exceeded their limit of cigarettes allowed.
There were seven seizures of spirits last year, an increase on two in 2008. The value of the spirits seized last year amounted to €728.85, which was an
increase on €100.16 in 2008. Twenty- one tobacco seizures were made by Customs last year – valued at more than €26,000. There had been 15 sei- Zures 1n 2008, which had a combined value of €18,897. There were 10 sei- Zures of medicine at Shannon in 2009, which was double the amount of 2008. The seizures of medicine in 2009 amounted to a total value of €71,037. Last year, there were 74 seizures of counterfeit goods, which totalled €411,837. Three seizures of meat amounted to €140, while seven sei- zures of food other than meat amount-
ed to €143.
There were two seizures under the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora). The most signifi- cant of those was the discovery of a pair of rhinoceros’ horns on Decem- ber 23, which were valued at around a ORO eles
According to Revenue, the reduction in some seizure categories was due to “a change in passenger traffic” at Shannon airport, allied to an increase in limits for passengers from the acces- sion States.