Customs seize 13.6 million cigarettes being smuggled in

Customs has last intercepted a smuggling operation and seized over 13 million cigarettes.

Customs said today that the cigarette packs were discovered inside a plywood shipment in an operation conducted at the sea cargo terminal.

In the inspection, 1,360 cases of cigarettes were found in two 40 feet containers. This amounts to a total of 13,600,000 cigarette sticks.

Customs has so far not disclosed the name of the company which attempted to bring these in.

Customs said that the duty for the seized cigarettes at the regular prices for the brands would amount to MVR 122 million.

Under the law, cigarettes must be imported with a warning message label, under a special permit. Customs said that the seized cigarettes were being brought in against these laws and regulations.