Courts / Dublin / Report

Seamstress avoids jail over illegal cigarettes

Summary

Olga Dretcaru, a 38‑year‑old seamstress from Rathmines, pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to evading excise duty on 20,000 Marlboro cigarettes she brought from Moldova. Customs officer Gillian Gough testified that the cigarettes had a retail value of €10,500, including about €2,000 VAT and €6,500 in excise duty, and that the state lost just under €8,371. Judge Martin Nolan noted that Dretcaru had no prior convictions and had fully admitted her role to investigators. He imposed a two‑year prison sentence, suspended on the condition that she does not repeat the offence; a repeat would result in imprisonment. Dretcaru had purchased the cigarettes in Moldova for €1,000 in cash, intended to sell some in Ireland but was unsure how, and had a Moldovan tax stamp on the packs.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Seamstress avoids jail over illegal cigarettes. Charges or matters: evasion of excise duty on 20,000 Marlboro cigarettes at Dublin Airport on February 6, 2016. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• February 6, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2017-12-12 Publication

Why: Judge Martin Nolan said that Dretcaru was caught because of the good work of customs officers. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

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Read the original CNI report