An “animal transporter truck” was among a number of items seized by members of An Garda Síochána when two vehicles were intercepted in the early hours of yesterday morning, Sunday, December 15, culminating in the seizure of €900,000 of drugs in Co. Louth.

In a statement, a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said: “As part of ongoing intelligence-led investigations associated with the joint agency taskforce targeting suspected facilitators of drug trafficking into this jurisdiction, an operation was carried out in Co. Louth on Sunday.

“During the operation, personnel attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) intercepted two vehicles simultaneously at approximately 1:00am while travelling in the vicinity of Ardee.

Cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value in excess of €900,000, analysis pending, was seized along with an animal transporter truck and a high-powered car.

It remains unclear as yet what type of truck was seized.

Two men aged 41 and 33 and one woman aged 33 years were arrested and are currently detained for questioning at Dundalk and Ashbourne Garda Stations under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, it was noted.

They can be held for up to seven days, the Garda spokesperson added.

Follow-up searches have since been carried out at locations in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, and Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal.

From these searches, Gardaí seized a vacuum packing machine and cash amounting to €8,000.