Benzodiazepines and cash worth a combined total of €370,000 have been seized in two separate incidents at Dublin Port.
Revenue officers, with the help of detector dog Alfie, discovered approximately 167,000 benzodiazepine tablets with an estimated value of €335,000nd euro yesterday.
The tablets were discovered concealed in the floor cavity of a van which had arrived from the UK.
The driver, a man in his 40s, was arrested and taken to a garda station in Dublin.
In a separate incident yesterday, €35,000 in cash was seized in the baggage of a passenger travelling outbound to France, and a man in his 40s has been arrested.
In a statement, Revenue says: "Yesterday (04/07/2023), as part of an intelligence-led operation and with the assistance of detector dog Alfie, Revenue officers seized approximately 167,000 benzodiazepine tablets with an estimated value of €335,000 at Dublin Port.
"The tablets were discovered concealed in the floor cavity of a van that had arrived from the UK. The driver, a man in his 40s, was arrested by An Garda Síochána and taken to a Garda station in Dublin.
"Investigations are ongoing.
"Separately today, (05/07/2023), at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Revenue officers were granted a three-month cash detention order by Judge Patricia Cronin. This followed the seizure yesterday of €35,000 in cash at Dublin Port. The discovery was made as a result of risk profiling when Revenue officers, assisted by detector dog Gus, conducted a baggage search of a passenger travelling outbound to France.
"A male in his 40s was questioned and investigations are ongoing.
"These seizures are part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the shadow economy and smuggling."
