Cocaine with an estimated street value of 21 million euro has been seized from a Maltese ship in Co Limerick, gardai said.

Revenue officers boarded and searched the registered bulk cargo vessel, which had arrived in the port of Foynes from Canada.

The officers seized approximately 300kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of 21 million euro.

The vessel continued to be searched on Wednesday as part of an ongoing operation by Revenue officers and specialist search teams, supported by drug detector dogs.

The investigation is being led by the Limerick Division Crime Functional Area, supported by Divisional Resources, Regional Armed Support Unit, National Units including the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), and international agencies including the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics).

No arrests have been made at this time and investigations are continuing, gardai said.