A MAN IN his 30s has been questioned by Revenue officials after officers at Rosslare seized approximately 3 million cigarettes worth €2.1 million.

The cigarettes were discovered when a Polish-registered articulated lorry and a trailer were stopped after disembarking from a ferry from Cherbourg in France.

A search using the Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner led to the discovery of the cigarettes concealed within the truck’s load.

A spokesperson said the cigarettes would have represented a potential loss to the Exchequer of over €1.6 million if they had been sold on the black market. 

A Polish national was questioned in relation to the find, and investigations are ongoing.

Separately, two other people have been arrested after gardaí seized cannabis with an estimated value of €192,000 following an operation conducted with the Revenue Customs Service.

The arrests came after a vehicle was searched in the Portlaoise area and 9.6kgs of herbal cannabis was found.

A 27 year-old man and a 28 year-old woman were arrested at the scene and taken to Portlaoise garda station, where they are currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice ( Drugs Trafficking) Act 1996.