Customs department intensifies efforts against contraband diesel

Customs officials have collected samples from several boat fuelling stations as part of its efforts to clamp down on the use of contraband diesel.

In a statement this morning, the department said members of its enforcement section had taken samples from a number of boats and boat fuelling stations, and had also carried out inspections at plants owned by contractors, which it said were amongst the biggest consumers of diesel.

“The operation at sea was concentrated mainly around Blue Lagoon in Comino, where eight inspections were carried out with the assistance of the Administrative Law Enforcement branch of the police,” it said in a statement, adding that a number of inspections had also been carried out on vessels and refuelling stations in Mgarr, Gozo.

It stressed that the sale of contraband goods was a criminal offense, which, carried “harsh fiscal penalties”, the confiscation of equipment used to store such items and in some cases a prison term.

The customs department said that over the past weeks it had intensified its campaign against all form of contraband, especially the sale of contraband cigarettes.

It said that in the last week alone, 23,270 contraband cigarettes had been seized, of which 15,810 were incinerated at the airport before they entered the country, with a further 7,460 also taken off the market, which included Business Royals, Capital, Burton, Richman, Tradition and L&M cigarettes – all of which “are not authorised for sale in Malta”.

Operations were carried out in various localities including Valetta, Hamrun, Bugibba, Mgarr, Qawra and Birkirkara amongst others.

“In Birkirkara, cigarettes were seized from a green grocer, a garage, and a private car,” read the statement. “In addition to selling contraband cigarettes, the green grocer was also not licensed to sell tobacco products and the relevant licensing authorities were therefore notified.”