Customs officers have arrested 56 people and seized 3.9 million cigarettes worth $7.5 million since the levying of the new tobacco duty this week.

Four storage and distribution centres for illicit cigarettes were raided seeing the arrest of four people and the seizure of 500,000 cigarettes worth $900,000 and with a dutiable value of $600,000.

Six people were arrested at land boundary checkpoints where 3.4 million cigarettes worth $6.5 million and with a dutiable value of $4.1 million were seized.

Other operations saw the arrest of 46 people and the seizure of 69,000 cigarettes worth $120,000 and with a dutiable value of $84,000.