Officers from the Revenue customs service have seized two million contraband cigarettes valued at about €600,000 in cargo freight at Dublin Port.
The haul, which would have involved a potential loss to Revenue in unpaid taxes and duties of €500,000, was found in a container that had been declared "waterproof jackets".
The cigarettes, which were the Burton brand, originated in Dubai and had entered Dublin Port on a car ferry via Antwerp.
They were discovered as part of an intelligence-led operation. Nobody had been arrested last night in connection with the find but investigations were continuing.
Meanwhile, gardaí in Naas, Co Kildare, were questioning a 26-year-old man in connection with the seizure of cannabis and cocaine with an estimated street value of €40,000.
The drugs were found in a car that was stopped near Blessington, Co Wicklow, at 7am yesterday by members of the drug unit at Naas Garda station.
The suspect was taken to Naas, where he was still being questioned last night under Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.
