Almost 2,000,000 cigarettes seized in huge cross border operation

A processing plant, millions of cigarettes, cash and a van was seized.

MORE THAN TWO million contraband cigarettes have been seized in a major multi-million cross-border operation.

A tobacco processing plant, two million cigarettes, 12 tonnes of tobacco and £50,000 sterling was found in nine searches in Down, Tyrone and Armagh yesterday.

Five people were arrested in Northern Ireland and were questioned in relation to the seizures.

Meanwhile searches in Louth and Dublin uncovered 334,000 ‘Minsk’ and ‘NZ’ brand cigarettes with a retail value of €167,000.

Detection dogs Harvey and Meg assisted in the seizure. A Ford Transit van was also seized.

The seizures are part of a joint customs operation targetting an organised crime gang’s cross border smuggling operation.

Customs officials say investigations are continuing in both jurisdictions and internationally.

Read: Casey the dog sniffs out 7.7 million cigarettes in ‘breakfast cereal’ boxes>

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