Customs officials confiscate 23,270 cigarettes and 67 litres of wine

Customs officials have intercepted 23,270 cigarettes and 67 litres of smuggled wine during the fourth week of its enforcement campaign.

Smuggled cigarettes were found at a restaurant, a vegetable shop, a grocery store, a garage and in a private car.

Of the total amount, 15,810 cigarettes were intercepted at the airport prior to entering the country, while 7,460 cigarettes were found in the market. The contraband had the following trademarks: Royals Business, Capital, Burton, Richman, Tradition, and L&M. These brands are not allowed to be sold in Malta. There was also 67 litres of seized wine from the market which duty was not paid on.

The Customs Department’s campaign against the import, sale and consumption of smuggled goods, in particular cigarettes, further intensified during the past week.

The campaign took Customs officers to these locations: Attard, Birkirkara, Birżebbuġa, Buġibba, the Valletta Open Market, the Vittoriosa Open Market, Ħamrun, Qawra, Mġarr, Senglea, Paola, Tarxien and Żabbar.

In Birkirkara, smuggled cigarettes were found in a greengrocer, garage and private car. The greengrocer was selling smuggled goods, and was not licensed to sell tobacco products and, therefore, the authorities in charge of licensing were informed. The car in which contraband was found was taken to the Customs Department.

A number of other cigarettes were seized in a Buġibba restaurant, while others were confiscated from a grocery store in Ħamrun.

There was also an operation at sea which led to inspections at the Blue Lagoon, conducted with assistance of the ALE police.