Ferry search leads to €2.9m drugs seizure

News imageAn Garda Síochána (Irish police) A photo of a large pile of clear plastic bags containing suspected herbal cannabis and cannabis resin. The bags have been placed on a floor next to a wooden pallet and a navy blue/dark green branded Irish Revenue sign which contains the organisation's name in Irish and its website address.An Garda Síochána (Irish police)
A photo of the haul of suspected cannabis was released by Irish authorities

Cannabis with an estimated value of more than €2.9m (£2.5m) has been found in a freight unit which travelled on a ferry from France to the Republic of Ireland.

The discovery was made by Irish revenue officers at Rosslare Europort in County Wexford on Thursday.

A man in his 20s was arrested by gardaí (Irish police) and remains in their custody.

The freight unit was stopped and searched after it arrived on a ferry from Dunkirk.

A mobile x-ray scanner detected approximately 145kg of suspected herbal cannabis and approximately 7.9kg of suspected cannabis resin concealed within the load.

Gardaí said the drugs were discovered "as a result of routine profiling".

"This seizure is part of revenue's ongoing operations targeting organised crime groups and the importation, sale and supply of illegal drugs," they added.