Action on counterfeit cigarettes

The Customs Department was working closely with cigarette manufacturers to stamp out cigarette smuggling, Finance Minister John Dalli told Mr Noel Farrugia (MLP) in reply to a parliamentary question yesterday.

He said foreign experts were being brought to Malta to help the Customs Department distinguish counterfeit cigarettes. The problem, which was common to many other countries, was being tackled "from every angle" to ensure that cigarettes were not smuggled to Malta and so that Malta was not used for the transport of counterfeit cigarettes, the minister said.