FRCS seizes $65,000 worth of undeclared cigarettes from fishing vessel

Fiji’s Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) seized 8,340 sticks of undeclared cigarettes worth more than $65,000 from a foreign fishing vessel that arrived in Fiji last week. The cigarettes were valued at $65,230 and were intercepted by the FRCS Suva Maritime Compliance Team after the vessel arrived on Friday, October 16. FRCS said the operation followed targeted risk profiling and intelligence sharing with partner agencies, followed by thorough searches by customs officers. The cigarettes were reportedly concealed in hard-to-access areas to avoid detection. The authority said the seizure helps protect government revenue, reduce smuggling and strengthen Fiji’s border security, with assistance from the Fiji Detector Dogs Unit.