A Customs official examines the haul at Dublin Port today
Customs officers seized 1.5 million cigarettes at Dublin Port today.
The Benson & Hedges brand cigarettes are valued at €555,000, which equates to a potential revenue loss of €450,000.
The officials found the cigarettes in seven leaded crates of glass that arrived in a container from Valencia, Spain.
"The glass was used to disperse X-rays from the container scanner, and lead was used to avoid detection by X-ray," a revenue spokesman said.
The container scanner provided an image that raised suspicions, however, he added.
The cigarettes will be shredded and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
