Updated 10.20am

A 55-year-old woman and 57-year-old man from Pieta have been arrested over the sale of contraband cigarettes from a vehicle in Ħamrun.

The Police said that they spotted a woman handing out and counting cash in a Peugeot in Triq Patri Magri at 5pm on Thursday.

The officers grew suspicious as they had already been alerted to illegal activity in the area.

As they were searching the vehicle, a man turned up to claim some money.

Meanwhile, someone informed the police that these two people were storing more cigarettes elsewhere. 

In a separate statement, the Customs Enforcement Section said that its officials, together with the police, caught a woman selling cigarettes from a car. 

A total of 1,560 cigarettes were found in the car. Both the vehicle and the cigarettes were seized by customs pending investigation.

A search was also carried out at the woman's residence and at a bar that she owns and operates in Ħamrun.