LIVE: Mayo home raid uncovers €1 million worth of cigarettes as gardaí give update

Gardaí have uncovered a huge haul of cigarettes and cash during a search at a house in Castlebar, Co Mayo.

The raid occurred on Saturday morning, February 21, as Mayo gardaí carried out a search warrant in the town.

A statement said: "As part of ongoing investigations into organised criminal activity in the Mayo Division, gardaí carried out a search under warrant of a residential property in Castlebar, Co. Mayo today, Saturday, 21st February 2026.

"During the course of the search Gardaí seized cigarettes with an estimated retail value of €1,100,000 along with €34,000 in cash.

"The cigarettes seized will now be subject to further examination.

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"Investigations are ongoing."

Gardaí also shared images of the haul on social media where people reacted. One man praised gardaí for their efforts. He said: "I love this group. It shows the work that you boys are doing that we don't see in normal press. You guys are working against a giant. Keep it up."

Another said: "That's a great haul, well done guys!"

A third said that consistent price hikes on cigarettes over the last number of years in a bid to stamp out the habit may be leading to a surge in the black market: "I'd say it's only the tip of the iceberg when you have a product like cigarettes that's so expensive nowadays with all the price rises trying to cut smoking down then you are going to have people that will try and import them for a huge profit. Keep up the good work."