Custom’s Intellectual Property Rights Unit this year intercepted 31 containers seizing 666,159 counterfeit items, those in transit valued at a total of €52.8 million, those intended for the local market at €450,000.
The items seized in transit were 49,558 pieces of clothing, 6,808 bags, 395,909 pairs of footwear, 16,500 apparel accessories, 46,032 deodorants, 3,595 pieces of electronics and 142,200 mobile accessories.
Those intended for the local market were 1,049 pieces of clothing, 699 pairs of footwear, 20 mobile phones or accessories, 55 wristwatches or accessories, 101 bags, a pen, 167 apparel accessories, 118 car emblems, 2,416 face masks, 94 game controllers, 134 pieces of electronics and 702 toys.
Meanwhile, its Enforcement Unit has also been busy at work so far seizing 934,377 cigarettes, 35,54 kilograms of chewing tobacco, 587 wine bottles, 2,148 bottles of hard alcohol, 680 heats, 19.55 kilograms of cannabis, 9.85 kilograms of cocaine, 1.4 kilograms of heroin, four ecstasy pills and 11 joints.
The value of seized tobacco products is €236,000, that of alcoholic beverages €29,000, that of narcotics €219,000.
The Canine Unit made 35 cash finds totalling €445,480 and US$27,201, 86 SNUS finds - 1,823 tins and 5.6kgs loose, 14 heat finds in 48 sieves, 14 cigarette finds (52 cartons), three tobacco finds (4.5 kilograms), four shisha tobacco finds (28.5 kilograms), two waterpipe tobacco finds (21.6 kilograms), two chewing tobacco finds (45 kilograms), and nine narcotics finds - 11g cannabis, 200g cocaine, 40ml poppers, four ecstasy pills and two joints.
Success was also registered by the Anti Money-Laundering Team, which intercepted €568,172 in 35 instances.
The department said that with postal and courier services being in high demand throughout the year, the medium was a target for illicit trade. Customs officials intercepted the following imports:
• 94 packets infringing public health regulations;
• 91 SNUS and chewing tobacco (144.13kgs),
• 23 goods infringing intellectual property rights regulations;
• 11 packets containing narcotics (0.912kgs)
• 10 goods with no CE Marking;
• Nine cases of heated tobacco;
• Three weapons;
• Two goods infringing Plant Health regulations;
• Two goods infringing CITES regulations;
• A paper currency;
• A number plate; and
• One good infringing cultural/heritage regulations.
And in spite of greatly reduced activity at Malta International Airport, its officials there intercepted:
• three jewellery items worth €304,000;
• 69,000 cigarettes;
• 45.2 kgs of snus and chewing tobacco;
• 44.5 kgs of shisha tobacco;
• 23.7 kgs of tobacco
• 100 cigars;
• 29.7 kgs of narcotics;
• 1,344 pcs infringing intellectual property rights regulations;
• 13.5 kgs of meat products and 46.4 kgs of dairy products;
• 20 live animals;
• seven imports of pharmaceutical products;
• 22 imports of goods in commercial quantities;
• three imports of goods with no CE Marking;
• three knuckle dusters; and
• three imports of goods infringing plant health regulations.