Prof Scicluna announces the donation yesterday. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Detention centres residents will be given about 1,000 pairs of shoes confiscated by the Customs department in anti-smuggling operations.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna explained yesterday the footwear could be distributed only because the products were genuine. Counterfeit items are destroyed on court orders unless the brand owners agreed otherwise. The shoes in question were used to smuggle items.

A government spokesman told this newspaper last November a proposal to end this practice was being evaluated following a court order to destroy 52,826 pairs of shoes and 2,736 items of sports clothing bearing fake labels of well-known brands.

Prof. Scicluna cited cases in the past when genuine household appliances, vehicles and jewellery were auctioned.

Asked about the imports of goods from Sicily and other EU countries, he pointed out that European law did not allow Customs to make random searches but only to act following a tip-off or intelligence reports. He explained that making a proper risk assessment was crucial in such cases.