THREE MEN are to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court later today in connection with the seizure of about £1m (€1.19m) of drugs in the Northern Irish city on Saturday.

Officers from the PSNI recovered 60kg of cannabis and approximately 50,000 ecstasy tablets from two cars and a lorry in the Belfast area on Saturday morning, as well as some cocaine and a quantity of cash.

The three men – aged 51, 27 and 25 – were arrested shortly afterward, as officers continued follow-up searches in the city and in counties Armagh and Antrim.

All three faces charges of possessing Class B drugs, while the 27-year-old is also charged with possession of class A drugs and with intent to supply the substances.

One of those follow-up searches, RTÉ reports, uncovered a major suspected illegal drugs factory.

The head of the PSNI’s Organised Crime branch, Detective Chief Superintendent Roy McComb, told the Belfast Telegraph that the find was a “significant” one which would impact on the supply of illegal drugs taken during the Christmas party season.

“I have no doubt that lives have been saved as a result of today’s major, successful seizure of suspected illegal drugs,” he said.