Illegal animal medicines racket smashed in raids
Gardaí discovered what they described as a significant quantity of illegal remedies in Waterford and Monaghan in the searches carried out over the weekend.
Samples from the seized medicines will now be subject to scientific laboratory tests to establish their precise contents.
A diesel laundering plant was also found in Waterford, where gardaí are being assisted by officials from the Revenue Commissioners.
Some 100 gardaí, including detectives from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation Unit, took part in the operation south of the Border.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture and Food were also involved in the swoops, during which premises in Cavan and Carlow were also searched.
Gardaí said the combined search operation was part of an investigation into the supply and possession of counterfeit animal remedies.
A similar operation was carried out in Down, Tyrone and Fermanagh by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, along with the departments of Health and Agriculture there.
The Northern Department of Health said the medicines at the centre of the probes could affect human health by contaminating the food chain.
Gardaí said there had been no arrests as of yet and their investigation was continuing.
