Cancer Society believes Ireland a 'target' for organised crime

The Irish Cancer Society has congratulated Gardaí and Customs Officers in the wake of another massive cigarette haul, but believes Ireland is a "target" for organised crime.

Eight million smuggled cigarettes with a retail value of around €3m, were seized in Ashbourne, Co. Meath last night.

The cigarettes were in a consignment from Rotterdam which had been under surveillance.

Kathleen O'Meara of the The Irish Cancer Society said: "We very much welcome this latest haul. A lot of work is being done by the Gardaí and Customs Officers to make sure that Ireland doesn't continue to be a target for this kind of activity. But we are concerned that that is the case.

"Ireland is a target for such illegal activity and we believe that organised crime is at the source of this."

This latest haul follows two other major seizures this year, which saw 38.5 million cigarettes confiscated.