METRO FREE Wednesday, October 28, 2009 Enjoy Sensibly Visit Visit facebook.com/CaptainMorganIreland See Page 12 for details Got A Little CaptainInYou? The CAPTAIN MORGAN words and associated logos are trade marks. Captain Morgan Rum Co. 2009. IRISH customs officials seized Europes largest ever haul of smuggled cigarettes in a dawn raid yesterday. More than 120million cigarettes valued at 50million were hidden in animal-feed bags in a vessel that sailed from the Philippines to Louth. Elite armed officers raided four premises as the shipment was being delivered to an importer near Dundalk. The operation codenamed Samhna targeted an organised-crime group operating on both sides of the Border. Garda are investigating whether dissident re- publicans were involved. Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said the operation was a significant strike against organ- ised crime. The success of the operation illus- trates the results and benefits that flow from close inter-agency co-operation, he added. The cigarettes which would require 75 trucks to transport would have represented a loss to the State of 40million in taxes. The vessel Anne Scan was monitored by the Navy after it left the Philippines last month. It docked at Greenore Port, Co Louth, on Mon- day before its load was removed early yesterday. As the cargo was delivered, agencies including Customs, Garda, the Navy and the Air Corps, and the Norths Customs and PSNI moved in. The ships captain and his first officer a Ukrainian in his 40s and a Lithuanian in his 50s were detained. Seven Irish men aged 19 to their mid-40s, including two from Co Armagh, were arrested as the premises were being raided and can be held for 24 hours. The haul is destined to be destroyed. BY con dohertY Record raid nets 120m cigarettes nadia Forde got some funny looks as she dressed in a fruit-i-ful outfit at the national Lottery offices yesterday to remind Lotto players that this weeks bountiful draw is heading for 8million Picture: Mac Innes bE honEst... aRE thEsE shoEs too much? heLP Metro heLP the enVIronMent. recYcLe thIS neWSPAPer todAY InsIDE toDaY Interview: Page 14 Greases olivia says our health is linked to planets see Page 18 metro takes a ride with F1 champ Jenson PLus Whats on tV tonight Pages 14-15 index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html