Revenue spent close to €2.7 million last year on the storage and destruction of nitrous oxide, smuggled cigarettes, and alcohol.
More than 90 per cent of that total cost related to handling canisters of laughing gas, which has become a significant challenge for authorities in recent years, reports Breaking News.
The cost of storing seized nitrous oxide amounted to €427,000, while an additional €2.05 million was spent on destroying the gas.
A smaller amount, roughly €95,000, was used to shred tobacco, cigarettes, and various other miscellaneous items, reports Breaking News.
Revenue also spent €113,000 disposing of smuggled alcohol, according to figures released under FOI laws.
Their enforcement work resulted in the seizure of hundreds of millions of euros worth of narcotics and other illegal goods last year, reports Breaking News.
There were 19 separate seizures of nitrous oxide totalling nearly 35,000 kilograms, with an estimated value of €1.28 million.
Revenue also recorded 169 seizures of vapes containing THC or other controlled substances, which would have had a street value of around €66,000, reports Breaking News.
Other seizures included 606 cases involving weapons, five litres of pepper spray, and 29 incidents involving ammunition.
Cannabis — both herbal and resin — accounted for the largest share of seizures, with 5.5 tonnes of the drug uncovered, reports Breaking News.
In total, more than 2,400 cannabis seizures were made, with an estimated street value of almost €105 million.
Discoveries of cocaine and heroin worth €73 million were also recorded by the Revenue Commissioners in 2025, reports Breaking News.
An extraordinary 16,085 seizures of amphetamines, ecstasy, and other drugs were carried out, according to the figures.
Revenue seized 46.9 million cigarettes with an estimated street value of €42.5 million, reports Breaking News.
Another 23 tonnes of loose tobacco were confiscated along with nearly 600,000 litres of smuggled alcohol products.
This included more than 461,000 litres of beer — the equivalent of over 800,000 pints, reports Breaking News.
Almost 14,000 litres of spirits were seized along with 120,000 litres of wine.
There were 80 separate cash seizures with a value of almost €3 million, Revenue said, reports Breaking News.
Counterfeit goods — in breach of intellectual property laws — were also discovered and would have been worth about €9.1 million if sold to the public.
Revenue also reported two seizures of items covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, reports Breaking News.
This can include items such as elephant tusks or endangered animals.
Asked about the records, a spokesperson said: “Combating the smuggling of prohibited and restricted goods is, and will continue to be, a priority to Revenue, reports Breaking News.
“Revenue will continue to use advanced analytics and a multiplicity of detection technologies while ensuring the optimum deployment of resources on a risk-focused basis”, reports Breaking News.
The spokesperson said they also worked with national and international partners to tackle and target illicit smuggling, reports Breaking News.
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