Two men and a woman were being questioned yesterday by gardai following the seizure of counterfeit videos, DVDs and Sony play stations worth an estimated £300,000.
In a separate investigation a woman was being questioned about counterfeit clothing and printing equipment seized two weeks ago at an address in Crumlin and worth another £300,000.
Charges are expected to follow in both cases, and a file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Samples of both seizures were put on display at Kevin Street Garda station yesterday.
"The seizure of electronic equipment represents the biggest, or the second-biggest, seizure of this type in the State," Det Insp Michael O'Sullivan said. It was part of a two-month investigation into the sale of counterfeit goods by criminal gangs for the Christmas market, he said.
The goods were scheduled to go on sale in Dublin city centre and at markets, fairs and video shops throughout the country.
The equipment was found in a search of an isolated farmhouse in Co Carlow last Friday as part of an "intelligence-driven" operation, he said. The upper storey of the house was used to manufacture videotapes, with more than 60 recorders in operation as gardai arrived. The lower part of the house was used to make the DVDs and the CD and Sony play station discs.
The manufacturing process was almost completed, said Det Insp O'Sullivan, and the counterfeit electronic goods were being boxed and made ready for distribution. It would be difficult to know they were fakes, apart from the fact that some of the packaging was below par, he added.
The clothing discovery was part of the same Operation Trademark, which had been under way for two months. "That discovery was made two weeks ago. We kept it quiet for operational reasons. It came about following a search in a house in Crumlin," he said.
There, a purpose-built building was found in the back garden with a printing press, for printing brand-names such as Adidas and Umbro on to clothing. "Anything from Guinness T-shirts to Manchester United sweatshirts were being printed there," Det Insp O'Sullivan said. It was a hugely sophisticated operation, he added.