Gardaí investigating organised crime and drug trafficking in the southeast of the country have arrested two more men.
The men, aged in their 20s and 40s, were arrested this morning in the Carlow area following a number of searches in the county.
Yesterday, gardaí carried out early morning raids of 27 homes and business in counties Carlow, Meath, Offaly, Laois, Tipperary and Waterford as part of an investigation.
Three of the 14 people arrested were released without charge last night, leaving a total of 11 men and two women (aged 18 to 54) in custody. All are being held in Garda stations in the south east under Section 50, Criminal Justice Act.
A large consignment of contraband cigarettes was also recovered in the raids.
The operation involved gardaí from Carlow, regional and national units and customs officers.
A Garda spokesman said the operation was established in the Carlow district in October last year with the objective of targeting organised criminal activity, drug trafficking and the possession of firearms in the county and throughout the south east.
To date, the operation has yielded 18 seizures of controlled substances and cash, while €4.4 million worth of drugs - including cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines - has also been recovered.