Customs Department seized millions of euros worth of counterfeit items in 2020

The Customs Department seized millions of euros worth of counterfeit items in 2020, a statement by the department read.

During this year, the department’s Intellectual Property Rights Unit intercepted 31 containers and a total of 666,159 counterfeit items. The items seized are detailed as follows.

Counterfeit goods valued at €52.8 million were seized in transit, the statement read, and included 395,909 items of footwear, 142,200 mobile phones and 49,558 items of clothing, among other things. In addition, counterfeit goods valued at €450,000 that were heading for the local market were also seized and this included clothing, footwear, face masks, game controllers, car emblems, toys and other items.

The department’s Enforcement Unit was also hard at work during the year even though the airport was closed for a long time and travel has been hampered, the Customs Department said. Between January 1st and the first week of November, this unit seized €236,000 worth of tobacco products, €219,000 worth of narcotics and alcoholic beverages worth €29,000. The narcotics consisted of 19.55kgs of cannabis, 9.85kgs of Cocaine, 1.4kgs of heroin, 4 ecstasy pills and 11 joints.

The Customs Department said that its Canine Unit used this year to settle in their newly founded Canine quarters, and train new canines added to their team. During 2020, this unit intercepted a total of €445,480 and $27,201, 1,823 tins of snus and 5.6kgs of loose snus, 52 cartons of cigarettes, some drugs and other items.

“Another new unit which has been recording one success after the other, the Anti Money-Laundering Team, has managed to intercept a total of €568,172 in 35 different instances from the beginning of the year till the end of October.

“Postal and Courier services have been on high demand through the year. But the situation made this medium a target for illicit trade and Customs officials managed to intercept, between January 1st and October 31st: 94 imports of packets infringing Public Health regulations; 91 imports of Snus and chewing tobacco (144.13kgs); 23 imports of goods infringing Intellectual Property Rights regulations; 11 imports of packets containing narcotics (0.912kgs); 10 imports of goods with no CE Marking; nine imports of heated tobacco; three imports of weapons; two imports of goods infringing Plant Health regulations; two imports of goods infringing CITES regulations; one import of paper currency; and a couple of other items.

“Last but not least, even though the pandemic has hampered the influx of passengers and the operations at the airport, Customs officials stationed at the Malta International Airport intercepted a number of undeclared items between January 1st and October 31st. These items included three jewellery items worth €304,000; 69,000 Cigarettes; 20 live animals; seven imports of pharmaceutical products and three knuckle dusters, among other things.