People thinking of taking ecstasy at this weekend's Electric Picnic are misguided if they think snorting supposedly “purer” ecstasy powder is safer than tablets, one of the country's leading experts on drugs has said.

Two million contraband cigarettes worth more than €850,000 have been seized in Dublin in a joint operation by the Gardaí and Customs officers at Dublin Port.

Further searches are taking place in the sea off the west coast today following the discovery of up to 200 kilos of cannabis in the water yesterday.