Following intensive investigations, the Customs Department intercepted 13,740,000 contraband cigarettes packed in two 40-feet containers on transshipment to North Africa and originated from the Far East. In a press release, the Customs stated that the Marlboro Red cigarettes were found hidden behind boxes filled with toilet paper.
The case started a few weeks ago when the Customs officers were examining the contents of a number of containers’ manifests. Officers from the Customs Monitoring Unit withheld two containers declared as filled with 1,860 boxes of toilet paper for an x-ray check using VACIS (Vehicle and Container Inspection System).
The Customs officers decided to carry out a physical check on the containers. In fact, it was here that discrepancies became apparent between the containers’ manifest and the cargo inside the containers.
The officers discovered 1,374 boxes of cigarettes each filled with 10,000 cigarettes behind the initial rows of toilet paper.
It is estimated that Lm1 million was due by way of import duty, VAT and excise on these cigarettes.
A similar haul of cigarettes occurred last year, in which 16 million cigaretts were intercepted.
See also:
Customs seize over 16 million cigarettes
By Roseanne Sammut - Nov 3, 2005, 17:49 CET
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