Customs seize 120,000 ‘Superman’ ecstasy tablets

Gardaí and Customs have dealt another blow to criminal gangs eager to earn millions from the Christmas black market.

The Garda National Drugs Unit and Customs seized 120,000 ecstasy tablets, with a retail value of around €1.2m. The beige-coloured tablets, impressed with the “Superman” logo were destined for the festive period.

It follows a series of operations by gardaí and customs which have hit criminal networks importing illegal drugs and counterfeit goods for the highly lucrative Christmas trade.

On Wednesday, Customs officers seized a large consignment of more than 20,000 counterfeit stuffed toys in Dublin Port with an estimated retail value of €600,000. The toys were based on movie characters, including the Disney smash hit Frozen.

“The toys were discovered in a container which originated in China and are believed to have been destined for the lucrative Christmas market,” said a Custom’s spokeswoman. Earlier this month, a top-secret Garda- led operation resulted in the seizure of 300kg of cocaine, worth an estimated €50m, in southern England.

Gardaí believed a number of Irish gangs were involved in the shipment and that much of the haul was destined to be transported to Ireland for the Christmas market.