Two containers carrying 20.9 million cigarettes were seized by Customs Department officers in two separate operations.

A forty-foot container carrying 10.9 million cigarettes was seized by the Malta Customs at the Malta Freeport, the department said in a first statement.

The contents of the container, arriving directly from Turkey, had been initially declared  to Customs as plastic bags. However, when the container was screened by the Customs Officials it was found to contain 10.9 million ‘Toros’ cigarettes. 

The container was transiting through the country en route to Spain. 

In a second statement, yet another forty foot container carrying contraband cigarettes has been seized by the Malta Customs Officials. 

The forty foot container carrying 10 million cigarettes was also seized at the Malta Freeport. The container was transiting through Malta en route to UK arriving from Poti, Ukraine.

The contents of the container has been initially declared  to Customs as pipe connections. However, when the container was screened by the Customs Officials it was found to contain 10 million ‘President’ cigarettes hidden behind a cover load of pipe connections. 

In both instances, the containers and its contents were immediately seized and the Customs Department is investigating.