There was a 329 per cent increase in the seizure of drugs by the Customs

National Drugs Team, according to the 1996 annual report of the Revenue

Commissioners.

According to the report, this was due to a "closer working relationship with other enforcement agencies at home and abroad". Many of the seizures were made with the assistance of the Garda.

A Revenue spokeswoman said very small personal seizures at ferry ports were not included in the figures. "We are happy with the seizures made last year, we want to emphasise that we are not only trying to prevent drugs hitting the streets of the Republic, but Europe as well," she added.

The size of the increase over the 1995 figure is partially accounted for by two "exceptional" seizures of cocaine, one of these, in Moneypoint, Co Clare, represented the largest cocaine seizure in the history of the State.

The national drugs team seized, in total, almost £148 million worth of drugs.

The majority of this was made up of cocaine (£128 million), followed by seizures of cannabis worth £19 million.

In 1996, the team seized 3,015 kilos of heroin, compared to 3,954 in 1995.

Seizures of ecstasy was up for 1996, at 19,002 tablets from 12,129 last year.

When the total for the two large cocaine seizures - in August at Moneypoint and in September in Co Cork - are subtracted, the national drugs team seized

£46 million of drugs, compared with £35 million in 1995.

A Revenue spokeswoman said very small personal seizures at ferry ports were not included in the figures. "We are happy with the seizures made last year, we want to emphasise that we are not only trying to prevent drugs hitting the streets of the Republic, but Europe as well," she added.

According to the report, there was an "increased emphasis during the year on maximising the number of prosecutions brought against those involved in the smuggling and selling of illegal cigarettes".

There was a dramatic increase in the number of prosecutions in 1996, including 50 brought against people found smuggling commercial quantities of cigarettes into the country.

In 1995 only nine prosecutions were brought in this area.

The Revenue Commissioners said there had been considerable work done in curbing the illegal sale of cigarettes in Dublin, with 81 prosecutions for this offence last year. There were 551 seizures of illegal cigarettes last year and

191 seizures of roll-your-own tobacco.

Another major area for customs enforcement was the use of illegal Marked Gas

Oil, better known as "green diesel". A total of 147 people were convicted for using this illegal fuel, the total for fines imposed was £89,150.

A number of people were convicted and fined for breaches of licensing regulations during 1996. The highest figure in this area was for unlicenced trading in liquor, where there were 54 convictions.