Malta Customs seized a record 20 million fake items last year at Malta Freeport.
Although many people do not consider counterfeiting as a problem, this criminal activity funds criminal organisations, promoting child labour, human trafficking, and terrorism among others. Counterfeit operations also interfere with economic growth, the Customs Department said.
The department has just launched a new scanning facility and scanning vehicle at the Malta Freeport to allow for a faster flow of containers through the Customs areas.
The intercepted items last year included:
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 wrist watches
7,700 counterfeit sport wear and sport items
2,300 automobile parts and
1,500 earphones.