A container full of contraband cigarettes from the Persian Gulf to an EU country was intercepted and stopped by Maltese customs officials.

The container, declared to be carrying 682 boxes of outdoor lanterns,  contained 10,590,000 contraband cigarettes. The cigarettes have been confiscated.

This was the second case in a few days which indicated that the contraband cigarettes activity is intensifying, the Customs Department said.

It is calculated that €10 billion are lost in taxes annually in the EU because of this illegal activity.

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