A tanker, which had been seized by Revenue officials, has been stolen from an Army barracks in Co Louth.

The incident happened in the early hours of this morning when someone apparently broke into Aiken Military Barracks in Dundalk.

The tanker, still loaded with several thousand litres of laundered diesel, was being stored at the barracks after being seized.

This morning a driver managed to get to the vehicle unnoticed, started it and then drove it out of the barracks, crashing through the locked gates at 2.10am.

The vehicle and its driver then disappeared.

The tanker had been seized by Revenue officials last Wednesday after they carried out a raid on an oil laundering operation at Drumacon, Co Monaghan.

A forklift, six vehicles and ancillary equipment were seized from the plant.

The theft is being investigated by the gardaí.

Both they and Customs officers visited the scene in Aiken Barracks earlier today.

No one was injured in the incident.