The Irish Revenue Service said that during searches on Wednesday and Thursday almost 540,000 cigarettes and 12.4kg of rolling tobacco products were seized.

Two vehicles and about €415,000 (£345,580) in cash were discovered, which it suspects is the product of, or intended for, criminal activity.

A cash counting machine, financial documentation and mobile phones were also seized as part of the operation.

Irish Revenue said the operation was conducted with the assistance of officers from An Garda Síochána (Irish police service) in Donegal.

At Buncrana District Court, officers were granted a three-month cash detention order in respect of the cash seized.

Gardaí (Irish police) said the seizure “is part of Revenue’s ongoing operations targeting the supply and sale of illegal cigarettes and tobacco in the shadow economy”.

They appealed for information.