More than 230,300 contraband cigarettes and cigars were seized by the Customs Department this week.

The department said that the cigarettes were seized following searches in bars and restaurants and while they were being brought into Malta by air and sea.

Around 147,000 cigarettes and 400 cigars were seized at the harbour and the airport. Another 83,320 contraband cigarettes were found in shops, clubs, garages and cars in various localities.

The department also pointed out that cigarette brands American Legend, Tradition and Manchester had cropped up in the domestic market.

These had not been legally imported and no excise tax had been paid, so owning a packet was a crime.

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