Customs seizes cigarettes worth $200 million

The Customs Department is reporting the seizure of a 40-foot container with undeclared cigarettes bearing the “Craven A” label.

The department says the cigarettes have an estimated street value of $200 million.

The items were seized today at the Kingston Container Terminal by the Jamaica Customs Contraband Enforcement Team in collaboration with the Organized Crime Investigation Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

The customs department says a search of the shipment which was labelled as notebooks and pens revealed more than 9,000,000 sticks of cigarettes with an approximate duty value of $135 million.

The Organized Crime Investigation Division has since identified multiple leads for further investigations.

In the meantime the Jamaica Customs Department says it continues to implement procedures to prevent uncustomed or illegal cigarettes and other harmful substances from reaching the Jamaican Marketplace.

editorial@gleanerjm.com