An umbrella that concealed a sword, a war hammer, and a gauntlet with a hidden blade were among the dangerous items intercepted by Revenue at ports, airports and mail centres.
Customs officials also seized imports of ‘Bug-a-Salt’ guns designed to kill insects by blasting them with table salt.
The ‘weapons’ are novelty plastic pump-action shotguns that take down pests, including flies, mosquitos, spiders and “all sorts of irksome insects.”
Records released by Revenue log more than 1,000 seizures involving weapons and accessories since the beginning of last year, ranging from samurai swords and stun guns to knuckle dusters and throwing stars.
Some of the most unusual discoveries include a “tactical gauntlet with hidden blade and throwing knives” which was nabbed at the Athlone Mail Centre last year after being posted from France.
Two months later, officers in Westmeath intercepted two more rare items from France including a “sword umbrella” and a blowpipe.
A 700-gram war hammer was seized at Dublin Airport in May of this year after arriving from the Netherlands, although it was subsequently “released locally.”
There were nearly twenty seizures of the bug-busting guns including one model described as “Advanced Combat Fiber Optic 3.0.”
Altogether, Revenue recorded 636 seizures involving weapons and accessories during 2025 and another 384 in the first eight months of 2026.