In Operation Tie gardai raided a series of dealerships in south west Dublin which they believed were selling cars bought for cash from dealers in Britain.

The Criminal Assets Bureau in Dublin is investigating the records of thousands of cars imported from Britain and sold below market value possibly as a result of the fraudulent avoidance of Vehicle Registration Tax. Cab suspects the cars slip through the VRT net by being registered as commercial vehicles, which have a tax rating of 50 Euro (£35) instead of the 30 per cent of Irish list price liable on passenger cars. An official of the tax office has been questioned in connection with the investigation and customs officers have impounded 40 luxury cars, including Bentleys, Range Rovers and Mercedes from five Dublin showrooms.