Customs officers have seized 4.788 million illicit cigarettes with a duty potential of $3.85 million at Container Terminal 9 on Tsing Yi. The $7.18 million haul is the largest cross-boundary smuggled cigarette seizure so far this year.

Officers made the seizure August 28 from a 40-foot container declared to be carrying liquid-crystal displays.

The container came from Yantian in Shenzhen and the illicit cigarettes were destined for Turkey.