Smuggled cigarettes seized
Second major haul this month
The Customs Department has seized over three million counterfeit cigarettes, the second major tobacco haul at the Malta Freeport this month.
The cigarettes were detected in a container in transit from the Far East to North Africa.
Earlier this month, Customs seized 13.7 million counterfeit cigarettes found hidden under toilet rolls in two containers.
They also came from the Far East and were destined to North Africa.
This time, the cigarettes, 376 boxes each containing 10,000 and totaling 3.7 million, were inside a container that was supposed to contain clothing.
A spokesman for the Customs Department said the discovery of the counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes was the result of a meticulous investigation over the past days.
Documents indicated the container was carrying 380 boxes of clothing. But when Customs became suspicious, the container was passed through the VACIS X-ray unit before being opened and checked.
The spokesman said the search revealed that all the boxes inside were unmarked, but as they were opened a large quantity of cigarettes was found together with a small amount of clothing.
The duty payable on the cigarettes would be in the region of Lm280,000.
The Customs Department informed OLAF, the anti-fraud unit of the European Union, about the discovery and an official came to Malta to follow the case more closely. The official was accompanied by the crew of a German television station contracted by the EU to film the investigation process.