Two men were today remanded in custody after denying smuggling 10.5 million cigarettes with a tax value of €2.2 million.

Malcolm Zammit, a 35-year old Freeport stevedore from Qormi and Christopher Calleja, a 51-year-old Freeport security officer from Valletta pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against them.

Prosecuting officers Rennie Stivala and Carlos Cordina informed Magistrate Neville Camilleri that they would oppose any request for bail, as a number of witnesses are colleagues of the two men.

The court ordered that the two men’s assets be frozen.

Last Sunday, another two Freeport employees were charged in relation to the same case.

According to a government statement, the container full of cigarettes was unloaded onto a truck at the Freeport and taken off-site.

It was then returned to the Freeport with its seals still in place.

Lawyer Joe Giglio appeared for Mr Zammit, whilst Mr Calleja was represented by lawyers Edward Gatt, Veronique Dalli, Dean Hili and Mark Vassallo.