Gardaí have seized a vehicle and a quantity of illicit cigarettes in raids in three counties.

Cross-border fuel laundering is in steep decline, with new figures from Revenue showing a huge drop in incidents, and local authorities reporting a sharp fall in the number of cases of toxic sludge by-product being discovered.

Fuel laundering and smuggling by ex-IRA gangs and border criminals in Ireland has been virtually wiped out, the taxman has claimed.

Crime gangs are sending people to university to get chemical engineering degrees and then employing their expertise for petrol stretching as well as diesel laundering along the border.