On Saturday  9m illegal cigarettes cigarettes with a retail value of €3.8m were seized from a premises in Co Monaghan  by gardaí and customs officials.

According to Revenue's Customs Service the 9m "President" brand cigarettes arrived in Dublin Port from Malaysia, via Amsterdam.

The contents of the container and had been declared as 'sports socks' on the ship's manifest.

Revenue estimates that the seizure represents a potential loss of €3.2m to the Irish exchequer and said the find is part of an ongoing strategy to combat tobacco smuggling

9m illegal cigarettes

"This operation is part of an ongoing strategy between Revenue and An Garda Síochána to combat the smuggling of cigarettes and tobacco into the State," the statement continued.

"Revenue would like to remind anyone tempted to buy cheap cigarettes from an irregular source of supply that there is a high possibility they are buying counterfeit goods, which provide an unknown set of health risks as the product is not the subject of quality control.

"It also takes much needed funds from the exchequer; hurts legitimate trade and is funding criminal activity."

On Saturday  9m illegal cigarettes cigarettes with a retail value of €3.8m were seized from a premises in Co Monaghan  by gardaí and customs officials.

According to Revenue's Customs Service the 9m "President" brand cigarettes arrived in Dublin Port from Malaysia, via Amsterdam.

The contents of the container and had been declared as 'sports socks' on the ship's manifest.

Revenue estimates that the seizure represents a potential loss of €3.2m to the Irish exchequer and said the find is part of an ongoing strategy to combat tobacco smuggling.

"This operation is part of an ongoing strategy between Revenue and An Garda Síochána to combat the smuggling of cigarettes and tobacco into the State," the statement continued.

"Revenue would like to remind anyone tempted to buy cheap cigarettes from an irregular source of supply that there is a high possibility they are buying counterfeit goods, which provide an unknown set of health risks as the product is not the subject of quality control.

"It also takes much needed funds from the exchequer; hurts legitimate trade and is funding criminal activity."