Illegal cigarettes, either counterfeit or contraband, are as easily available in rural areas of Cork as they are in the city.

Cigarettes containing high levels of asbestos, lead, arsenic, traces of rat poison and human excrement are flooding Ireland as dissidents and highly organised crime gangs make vast profits buying them for as little as 20c a packet.

Officers from Revenue's Customs Service, assisted by gardaí, have seized cigarettes, spirits, beer, vehicles and cash - with a total value of almost €300,000.

A man has been remanded in custody after Revenue officers seized 10,000 cigarettes at Dublin airport yesterday.

A man has been arrested after more than 350,000 cigarettes were seized in Dublin yesterday.

Customs officers have seized 3.5 million cigarettes at Rosslare Europort.

A man was arrested today after customs officers at Dublin Airport seized 27,400 cigarettes with an estimated retail value of €12,467.

More than €82,000 worth of cigarettes have been found after six seperate seizures in Cork recently.

Officers from Revenue's Customs Service have seized 26,540 cigarettes at Dublin Airport with an estimated value of €11,500.

CUSTOMS officials are preparing a number of files for the Director of Public Prosecutions following three operations last weekend in Cork against illegal cigarette smuggling.

Over 100,000 cigarettes with an estimated street value of over €40,000 have been seized at Dublin Airport.

CUSTOMS made their largest single seizure of smuggled cigarettes off a flight at the weekend during a major operation against a Baltic gang.

A Maltese ship was placed under arrest by customs officers today after 200,000 contraband cigarettes were discovered on board.