Officers from Revenue's Customs Service, assisted by gardaí, today seized about six million contraband cigarettes and two commercial vehicles in north Dublin.
The seizure, which was a result of a surveillance operation, has an estimated retail value of €2.5 million and a potential loss to the exchequer of €2.1 million.
The consignment of cigarettes, which arrived into Dublin Port from China, was concealed in a shipment described as 'glasswool insulation rolls'. The brands of cigarettes seized were Palace, Lambert & Butler and Marlboro.
So far this year, over 17 million cigarettes with a retail value of approximately €7 million have been seized by Revenue's Customs Service.