Updated | Over $17,000 undeclared cash and 10.9 million cigarettes, seized by Customs

Over $17,000, in undeclared cash, were seized by Customs officials at the Malta International Airport last night.

The cash was being carried by an Omani national, who arrived in Malta from Benghazi on a private flight. The passenger failed to declare that he was carrying $27,000. 

He proceeded to pass through the Customs screening area, when officials discovered bundles of cash, as well as six cartons of undeclared duty free cigarettes.

The undeclared cash, as well as the cigarettes, were seized, pending investigations by the Police Economic Crimes unit and the passenger will be arraigned in court in the coming days.

Today, a forty-foot container, carrying 10.9 million cigarettes, was also seized by Customs, at the Malta Freeport. The contents, which were arriving from Turkey, were initially declared to Customs as "plastic bags". When screened, however, officials found millions of counterfeit 'Toros' cigarettes.

Customs said that the container was transiting through Malta, en route to Spain.

The container, as well as its contents, were immediately seized and an investigation is currently underway.

The department has had a “record breaking” year, in terms of interceptions as several shipments of counterfeit goods have been targeted and seized, safeguarding consumers and jobs.