Gardaí have questioned an Irish man in connection with an international investigation into a COVID-19 scam.
An inquiry was launched after an order for millions of masks destined for Germany was made through a fake copy of a legitimate company's website.
Detectives interviewed a man in Co Roscommon on Friday in connection with the suspected laundering of €1.5 million here.
Gardaí say it is "a serious offence carrying a maximum term of imprisonment of 14 years after conviction on indictment".
Detectives have also obtained documents and electronic devices which are now being forensically examined.
It comes as part of an investigation by German, Dutch and Irish authorities.
According to officials, a Germany company was contracted by state officials to purchase 10 million masks at a cost of around €15 million.
The company contacted a Spanish firm with whom they had a 'well-established professional relationship' to try to procure the masks.
The Spanish company was unable to meet the order given the current level of demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the German firm was instead put in touch with a Dutch supplier through an Irish intermediary.
However, when the German company put in an order for millions of masks it was made through a "fraudulent entity who had cloned the website and email address of the legitimate Dutch company".
The German firm made a down payment of €1.5 million to the Irish company’s bank account based in Roscommon for the delivery of the first 7.7 million masks.
Another €880,000 was paid into the fraudulent Dutch company’s bank account, money which has since been tracked down by Dutch authorities.
On March 27th, representatives from the German and Irish companies met in Amsterdam to inspect and oversee the handover of the shipment of masks, but it never materialised.
They then attended an office of the Dutch company where they were told that no shipment was ever ordered or assigned.
Dutch police last week arrested two men for alleged fraud, falsification and money laundering, and they have since appeared in court.
€1.5 million has also been frozen in an Irish bank account.
