Tonga Customs have seized over 1 million illegal cigarettes with an estimated street value of $1.19 million pa‘anga in a joint operation with Tonga Police, on August 10.

The Joint Operation carried out searches under warrant of approximately 20 premises believed to be selling and storing illegal cigarettes and other illegal items.

The premises targeted included a mixture of retail and wholesale outlets as well as private premises across Tongatapu’s Central and Western Districts.

Approximately 100 law enforcement Officers from Customs and Police were tasked to carry out the simultaneous searches at all the premises, according to a statement from Viliami Folaumahina, Principal Revenue Officer, Customs & Trade Division, Ministry of Revenue and Customs, today.

“During the operation, officers seized approximately 5,954 sleeves of prohibited cigarettes, which is equivalent to approximately 52,544 packs or 1,050,880 cigarettes and other small quantities of suspected unlawful goods all believed to have been smuggled into Tonga. This is the largest confiscation of illegal cigarettes by Customs and Police in this last decade.”

The estimated street value of these cigarettes is $1,190,800 million pa‘anga. If these goods remained in the black market they would have replaced supply of genuine goods and the revenue loss to government as a result of this would have been approximately $1,090,070.20 million pa‘anga, the Ministry of Revenue & Customs stated.

Police are now working with Customs to investigate the unlawful importations of these prohibited cigarettes.

“The Ministry of Revenue & Customs is steadfast and determined to carry out its missions to ensure Tonga’s border is secure, encourage the legal facilitation of trade and generating of government revenue for the benefit and well-being of the Tongan people.”