SUSPECTED COCAINE ESTIMATED to be worth €3.85 million has been seized at a port in Co Cork.

The drugs, which were contained in a refrigeration unit of a shipping container, had “originated in Ecuador”, gardaí said.

As part of the operation, Revenue officers acting on intelligence seized the 55kgs of suspected cocaine at Ringaskiddy Port, Co Cork.

The seizure was made as a result of a joint operation conducted by Revenue’s Customs Service and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), targeting transnational organised crime and the smuggling of illegal drugs into Ireland.

The drugs were found with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner, assisted by its maritime unit and a drug detector dog.

No arrests have been made and Gardaí said investigations are ongoing.

Businesses and members of the public have been urged that if they have information regarding drug smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on its confidential number 1800 295 295.