During the first three months of 2021, the Customs Department has intercepted and seized 10 containers carrying merchandise which was in breach of intellectual property rights.
The total number of seized items amounts to nearly 2 million items and includes clothing, footwear, apparel accessories, electronics, mobile phone accessories, toys, tootpaste, bearings and blades (as shown in the subjoined table).
In 2020 (January – December), the Customs Department has intercepted and seized 44 containers, carrying 780, 962 items (as shown in second table below). This means that, so far this year, in just 10 containers, the number of items seized, has more than doubled over 2020.
In the past years, the Customs Department has invested €2 million, in analytical tools, so that, with advanced and sophisticated technology, it will be in a position to make the necessary profiling and supervisions, and a further €3 million, in two robust mobile scanners operating with different systems for monitoring activity in our ports. By way of these investments, the Customs Department was successful in raising and updating the risk profiles, in respect of merchandise entering Malta or transiting through Malta, with the least impact possible on legitimate trade.
The risk profiles are the basis of an effective customs risk management engine, which enhances scrutiny related to cross-border crimes.
| I.P.R. STATISTICS - 2021 SEIZURES | |
| 10 CONTAINERS | | | | |
| CLOTHING | 549,950 | | | |
| FOOTWEAR | 182,226 | | | |
| APPAREL ACCESSORIES | 1,440 | | | |
| ELECTRONICS | 5,070 | | | |
| MOBILE ACCESSORIES | 768,046 | | | |
| TOYS | 28 | | | |
| TOOTHPASTE | 223,872 | | | |
| BEARINGS | 35,255 | | | |
| BLADES | 131,700 | | | |
| TOTAL | 1,897,587 | | | |
| I.P.R. STATISTICS - 2020 SEIZURES | |
44 CONTAINERS
| CLOTHING | | 102,140 |
| BAGS | | 6,808 |
| FOOTWEAR | | 457,600 |
| APPAREL ACCESSORIES | | 16,500 |
| DEODORANTS | | 46,032 |
| ELECTRONICS | | 3,596 |
| MOBILE ACCESSORIES | | 142,200 |
| CLOTHING | | 1,341 |
| FOOTWEAR | | 713 |
| MOBILE PHONES / ACCESSORIES | | 25 |
| WRIST WATCHES / ACCESSORIES | | 62 |
| BAGS | | 156 |
| PENS | | 1 |
| APPAREL ACCESSORIES | | 174 |
| CAR EMBLEMS | | 118 |
| FACE MASKS | | 2,566 |
| GAME CONTROLLERS | | 94 |
| ELECTRONICS | | 134 |
| TOYS | | 702 |
| TOTAL | 780,962 |