The special investigation unit of the Department of Agriculture may have broken up a smuggling ring which has been attempting to bring cattle into the Republic from Northern Ireland.
Although the ban on the export of beef from specified herds in the North has been lifted by the EU, the movement of live animals from there is still banned.
Last week cattle presented at a Co Kilkenny meat plant were held for inspection by Department officials as they suspected they had been illegally imported from the North.
The 37 animals, estimated to be worth over £15,000, were later destroyed, and a raid was carried out on the farm of a farmer in Co Carlow. The origin of seven cattle seized in the raid is being investigated.
In a further operation at a farm in Dunlavin, Co Wicklow, a large number of bogus identity cards for animals, ear tags relating to these false cards, equipment for retagging animals and other documents were seized.
This operation was also aimed at uncovering illegal growth-promoters, but while no drugs were found the seizure gave additional information on cross-Border smuggling.
A Department spokesman described the haul as significant and said follow-up investigations were being carried out.
All Irish cattle must have their own identity card with the tag number of the animal which is inserted in the ear shortly after birth.
Recently vets working in a Munster meat plant found that smugglers were inserting silicone into the ears of animals smuggled from the North to hide the fact that they had been retagged.
Sources close to the team indicated that the recent raids had provided vital information on cross-Border smuggling. Since the Border was sealed to prevent animals being smuggled south in April 1996 after the latest BSE scare, more than 1,600 animals have been seized and the majority destroyed.
