Revenue customs officers shut down an illegal commercial cigarette factory in north Dublin on Friday, seizing cigarettes worth over €630,000 in the course of the operation.
Along with the seizure of approximately 758,000 Marlboro-branded illicit cigarettes, customs officers also discovered more 1.4 tonnes of raw tobacco at the premises in Dublin 11, precursor components for the manufacture of cigarettes.
The seized cigarettes amounted to a potential loss of almost €500,000 to the Exchequer, according to Revenue.
An Garda Síochána also assisted in the operation.
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Revenue believes that equipment found at the production factory is capable of producing more than 250,000 cigarettes per hour, along with pre-processing and packaging facilities.
Investigations are ongoing, both nationally and internationally, following the seizures.
Meanwhile, a man in his 30s has been arrested after gardaí seized over €540,000 of suspected cannabis herb during searches in Co Cork and Co Limerick on Friday.
The man arrested in connection to the seizures has been charged, and will appear before Cork City District Court on Saturday evening.
On Friday afternoon, gardaí seized an estimated €300,000 of cannabis during the search of a vehicle in Mallow.
Following on from that seizure, officers connected to the Limerick Divisional Drugs Unit seized cannabis worth an estimated €240,000 following a search in Balysheedy, Co Limerick.
The cannabis herb seized will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.
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