Three men have been arrested at Waterford Airport by gardai following co-operation between international crime agencies.
The men were arrested after disembarking from a plane that had arrived from Belgium via an airfield in the UK last Wednesday morning, February 23.
Shortly after the aircraft had landed in the UK, members of the UK National Crime Agency intercepted a car near the airport in the midlands.
50kgs of cocaine with an estimated value of €3.5m was seized.
A man was arrested and has subsequently been charged and appeared in court.
When the plane arrived in Ireland last Wednesday at around 11am, it was searched by Waterford gardai and officers from Revenue and Customs.
A number of mobile phones and €9,000 in cash was seized.
Three men on board were arrested for alleged offences under 72 Criminal Justice Act 2006 and detained under section 50 Criminal Justice Act 2007 at Garda Stations in the South East.
Following further enquiries and liaison with the UK National Crime Agency, Interpol and Swedish Police, their identities were confirmed as a Lithuanian man in his 30s and two Swedish men in their 50s.
The plane also remains detained by gardai.
Last Sunday, the three men were released.
Gardai say investigations are ongoing in co-operation with their UK, Swedish and Interpol counterparts and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions in respect of this international investigation.
All three men were re-arrested on foot of European Arrest Warrants issued by the Swedish authorities and appeared before the High Court at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin on Monday, February 28.
They have been remanded in custody to appear again before the High Court on March 11.
