Customs seized close to 20 million fake items in 2017

Customs Department officials stationed at the Malta Freeport Terminal seized close to “20 million fake items” in 2017 - an all-time record – the department said this afternoon.

“This achievement has been hailed by the Global Anti Counterfeiting Group, who crowned the local Customs Department as being the leading National Body in the IPR field earlier last year,” read a statement.

It said that even though there were many people who considered counterfeiting not to be a problem, in reality, it was a source of funding for criminal organisations.

The department added that the practice also promoted “child labour, human trafficking and terrorism among others”. 

“Counterfeit operations also interfere with economic growth,” it added.

The department also said that earlier this year it had launched its “new scanning facility and scanning vehicle” at the Malta Freeport which aimed to boost the number of seizures and “allow for a faster flow of containers through the Customs areas, in order not to hamper trade operations”.

In total the following items were seized this year:

19.53 million counterfeit cigarettes

162,000 counterfeit toothbrushes  

78,000 pairs of counterfeit shoes 

33,000 counterfeit mobile phones covers 

28,000 counterfeit mobile phones batteries

24,000 counterfeit clothes

7.800 counterfeit wristwatches

7,700 counterfeit sport wear and sport items 

2,300 automobile parts and 

1,500 earphones