Almost 30,000 litres of illicit alcohol seized

A joint operation involving gardaí and customs officers has stopped nearly 30,000 litres of illicit alcohol from flooding the black market in the lead-up to Christmas.

In the wake of the seizure, both customs officers and the Food Safety Authority warned about the dangers of consuming alcohol from such sources. Earlier this year, 21 people died in the Czech Republic after drinking alcohol mixed with methanol.

The alcohol discovered yesterday was tested and found to be 96% proof. It was in 11 large, white plastic containers which each held 1,000 litres. The containers are traditionally used by smugglers to hold toxic waste left over from diesel laundering.