Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

THE LATEST seizures by Customs of some 12 million cigarettes in two hauls have a combined retail value of €4.8 million.

The Regal brand cigarettes were hidden in a container which arrived into Dublin Port from Barcelona last week. The tobacco was labelled on the manifest as "hair extensions" and was hidden in 25 pallets with empty boxes.