Hundreds of cartons of contraband cigarettes were seized from two passengers arriving in Southern California on a cruise ship, authorities said Wednesday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Long Beach Cruise Ship Terminal on April 17 seized 749 cartons of illegally imported cigarettes from two women arriving on a cruise ship from Ensenada, Mexico, according to the agency. The cartons were found in 10 pieces of luggage during an inspection.
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The women provided purchase receipts, but they did not provide permits required for importing commercial quantities of tobacco, according to CBP.
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SIGN UP "The importation of tobacco products is highly regulated from both tax and consumer safety perspectives," said Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. "Travelers who intentionally disregard U.S. importation laws and regulations often pay a high price."
Here are the contraband products that authorities said were found in the luggage:
- 326 cartons of Newport 100s
- 58 cartons of Newport regulars
- 112 cartons of Marlboro Red
- 43 cartons of Marlboro Silver
- 210 cartons of Marlboro Gold cigarettes
The estimated value was $59,920, based on an average cost of $80 per carton in California.
"Selling illegally imported cigarettes could yield high profits for underground vendors due to the low cost of cigarettes when purchased overseas and the evasion of taxes owed upon import," said Africa Bell, CBP Port Director of Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport. "This type of scheme not only evades revenue owed to the United States but may be harmful to the American consumer."
The seized cartons will be destroyed, the CBP said.
