A quantity of cash and a number of other items were also seized by gardaí.

Gardaí claim that businesswoman Iryna Bandarieva, 69, and Ihor Shandar, 60, were caught red-handed at Dublin Airport's Terminal 1 on April 10th and are awaiting directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Ultimately, each note was either directly or indirectly destined for the personal gain and enjoyment of those at the top levels of transnational Organised Crime Groups, gardaí said.

These investigations were linked with Operation Lionfish Hurricane, a global initiative led by Interpol. The operation targets the trafficking of cocaine across the three major regions of South America, west Africa and western Europe

The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) arrested Sean Mackey, 53, and two other men during an operation on February 22nd.