Sailors lead police, Customs to smuggled goods

Two Filippino sailors landed themselves in trouble when they were allegedly caught leaving the Freeport with a quantity of smuggled cigarettes.

After telling Customs officers that the cigarettes were to be delivered to the owner of a bar in Birżebbuġa, the police found more smuggled cigarettes and alcoholic drinks at the bar in question.

Even more smuggled cigarettes were found during a search in the sailors' cabins. A spokesman for the Customs Department said the two sailors, forming part of the crew on an Italian ship, were stopped from leaving the Freeport on Monday evening. Each was carrying a bag allegedly containing Marlboro cigarettes.

Investigations revealed that, in all, they had 30 cartons, each containing 200 cigarettes.

The spokesman said that when answering questions by Customs officers, the sailors admitted they planned to give the cigarettes to the owner of a bar in Birżebbuġa. Customs officers later searched the sailors' cabins and found a further 34 cartons with L&M cigarette cartons, each containing 200 cigarettes.

A Customs and police joint search at the Birżebbuġa bar produced more smuggled cigarettes and some bottles of alcoholic drinks imported without excise duty being paid on them.

All the drinks and cigarettes were confiscated.