Revenue customs officials, backed by the Dutch authorities, have uncovered what they believe to be a sophisticated smuggling operation supplying contraband cigarettes to the Munster region.
Three people were questioned by customs officials in Limerick on Wednesday night about the discovery of two million cigarettes valued at around €600,000.
The haul left the Chinese port of Chin Wan a fortnight ago and was transported to the Dutch port of Rotterdam. The cigarettes were discovered in a container after being X-rayed by officials in the Netherlands, who then contacted their Irish counterparts.
The haul was allowed to continue to Ireland and entered the Republic as sea freight at Tivoli docks in Cork. It was placed under surveillance on its way to Kilfinane in east Limerick, where it was collected on Wednesday by three Irish men.
The men were detained for questioning by customs officials and a file on the matter has been sent to the DPP. The container was searched and the cigarettes were found hidden in a consignment of men's shirts.
All of the Benson & Hedges packets had been stamped with a high-quality stamp indicating taxes and duties had been paid.
The shipment was the latest in a series of contraband cigarette consignments seized by customs officials. To date this year, cigarettes with an street value of €4.2 million have been seized.
Last week, officials in Shannon, Co Clare seized over 200,000 cigarettes near Bansha, Co Tipperary, valued at €66,000. The haul was hidden in a container marked "textiles". It had originated in Lithuania and arrived in Shannon airport via Dublin.
In March, at Dublin Port, officials discovered five million contraband cigarettes valued at €1.5 million. They had come from the Ukraine, travelling by sea from Odessa to Dublin via Rotterdam. They were intercepted at a warehouse in Drogheda.
Two weeks earlier, some 4.8 million cigarettes valued at €1.4 million were seized at Rosslare Europort. The cigarettes were hidden in a container behind packages of frozen chips.
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