OFFICERS FROM the Revenue Commissioners’ customs service have seized 351,000 cigarettes with an estimated street value of €136,000 at Dublin port.

The cigarettes, which were seized yesterday, were packaged in a cargo consignment which had been described as containing machine parts and advertising materials.

They had travelled from Greece, and carried the ‘Palace’, ‘Gold Classic’ and ‘Silver Arrow’ brands.

Revenue said one man had been questioned in relation to the seizure, and that its investigations were continuing.

The cigarettes, if sold on the black market, would have posed a loss to the Exchequer of about €120,000.

On Monday, a separate consignment of 16,000 cigarettes were seized from a Moldovan man who was trying to bring them into the coutnry.

The ‘L&M’ brand cigarettes would have had a street value of €6,200, and a potential loss to the Exchequer of over €6,400.

The 27-year-old was arrested and appeared at the Courts of Criminal Justice, where he was remanded in custody to appear again at Wheatfield Court on Friday.