The Customs Department has seized 64 million contraband cigarettes in an operation carried out in the past few days, the department said in a statement Wednesday.

Nine 40-foot containers were discovered at the Freeport on their way from Asia to a European Union country which was not disclosed.

The containers were declared to be containing furniture and toys, but the cigarettes were also found in them. All containers were seized and the cigarettes will be destroyed.

Three of the nine containers were found with the use of scanning apparatus. This led to the other six containers.

€12 million in excise and tax were due on the cigarettes, the department said.