The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) has seized 8,340 sticks of undeclared cigarettes valued at more than $65,000 from a foreign fishing vessel that arrived in Fiji last week.
The cigarettes, valued at $65,230, were intercepted by the FRCS Suva Maritime Compliance Team following the vessel’s arrival on Friday, October 16.
According to FRCS, the successful interception followed targeted risk profiling, intelligence sharing with counterpart agencies and thorough searches conducted by Customs officers.
The cigarettes were allegedly concealed in difficult-to-access areas of the vessel in an attempt to evade detection.
FRCS said officers uncovered the sophisticated concealment methods through their vigilance and effective search techniques.
The authority said the undeclared cigarettes represented a potential loss of government revenue and posed a risk to Fiji’s border security.
The operation was carried out with assistance from the Fiji Detector Dogs Unit and other enforcement partners.
FRCS said the seizure highlighted the importance of intelligence sharing, effective risk management and cooperation between agencies in combating smuggling.
It added that strengthening maritime enforcement remained a priority in preventing illicit goods from entering the country.
The authority reaffirmed its commitment to protecting government revenue, combating smuggling and securing Fiji’s borders through continued surveillance and enforcement operations.
