Cigarette smuggling operation lands man in court
A man arrested on Thursday morning over his alleged involvement in a cigarette smuggling operation in St Paul's Bay, was granted bail upon his arraignment after pleading not guilty in court.
James Azzopardi, 29, residing in St Paul's Bay, was charged over the illegal importation of over one million cigarettes totaling "31,523 in value, over which no duties and taxes had been paid.
The arrest came hot on the heels of an anonymous call to the Qawra police station at daybreak on Thursday, informing them of suspicious activity taking place at the quayside in the tal-Veccja area.
Boxes were seen being unloaded from a boat moored at the quay and transferred to a vehicle parked close by, the source had said.
A police patrol dispatched to the site came across the accused standing by a parked Fiat Ducato, while the boat took off as soon as the approaching police presence was sensed.
The man standing on shore was arrested once the contents of the boxes inside his van were revealed as Customs Department officials were called in.
During the arraignment, it emerged that the boxes, currently seized by the authorities together with the van, had contained more than one million cigarettes of...
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