The West Cork coastline has long been a favourite drop-off point for drugs traffickers as they’ve seen it as an easy ‘back-door route’ into Britain.

Three men from the north of England were arrested last night following the seizure of an estimated €88m of cocaine on a yacht during an operation which bears a striking resemblance to a drugs interception in 2008.

The Irish Naval Service has seized cocaine with a street value of up to €100m on a yacht off the Irish coast after a major intelligence-led operation.

The Irish Medicines Board has said there was a 20% increase in the amount of counterfeit and illegal medicines seized last year.

Gardaí in Co Louth have seized a large quantity of tobacco and un-distilled alcohol in Dundalk.

The Irish Medicines Board has warned that people are putting their lives in danger by taking illegal and fake medicines after it emerged there had been a 60% rise in seizures of sedatives last year.

A man has been remanded in custody in connection with a drugs seizure at Dublin airport.

Two men have been arrested in Galway after a major drugs seizure in the county.

Gardaí in Dublin are questioning a 41-year-old Irish man in connection with a €5m drug seizure in Blanchardstown.

A man has been arrested in connection with the seizure of €5m worth of drugs in Dublin.

An oil laundering plant has been discovered in Co Louth today.

Gardaí have said they have made one of the biggest drugs seizures in the history of the State.

TEN people were being questioned by gardaí last night as part of a swoop on the drugs trade in the south-east.

Three men from the North have been arrested in the Republic after a major fuel-laundering plant was uncovered.

GARDAÍ seized a quantity of herbal cannabis and arrested a woman in her 40s following an operation by detectives from the Garda National Drugs Unit, Pearse St Drugs Unit and Revenue Customs Service.

Heroin with a street value of €50,000 has been seized at Dublin Airport.

Gardaí have made the largest ever seizure of methamphetamine in the history of State after it swooped on a suspected Eastern European trafficking gang, it emerged tonight.

Detectives were today questioning a man after cocaine and cannabis worth half a million euro was seized during an investigation into eastern European drugs gangs.

GARDAÍ hope to seize the assets of gang bosses and bring criminal charges following the massive seizure of counterfeit goods yesterday.

Gardaí have seized around €2m worth of counterfeit goods in Dublin following a series of raids in Tallaght, Crumlin, Kevin Street and the north of the city today.

CUSTOMS officers have seized almost 200,000 cigarettes after three operations in Cork.

Authorities are today launching a search of the seabed off the west coast of Ireland after almost half a million euro worth of cannabis was snared in a fisherman’s net.

A man was arrested today after Customs officials seized a large haul of cannabis at one of the country’s main ports.

THE customs service unveiled a new high-tech weapon yesterday in the fight against drug trafficking, smuggling, gun running, terrorism and human trafficking.

CUSTOMS officers are to have their armoury bolstered in the battle against the drugs trade with the addition of a €1.6 million vessel which will be used to patrol the coast.

Cocaine with an estimated street value of €20,000 has been seized in north Dublin.

A diesel laundering plant has been discovered in Co Louth.