Two cruise passengers were busted for possession of a huge cache of cigarettes after disembarking their cruise ship in California.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered 749 cartons of cigarettes at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport.
The 150,000 cigarettes were found hidden in ten pieces of luggage that the two female cruise guests were carrying.
According to the cruise port app Cruise Legend, Carnival Firenze was the only ship in Long Beach that day, and it visited Ensenada, Mexico, the day before.
Two Female Guests Caught with More Than 700 Cartons of Cigarettes
| By the Numbers | |
|---|---|
| 10 | Pieces of luggage used to conceal cigarettes |
| 58 | Cartons of Newport regulars seized |
| 326 | Cartons of Newport 100’s seized |
| 749 | Total number of cigarette cartons seized |
| $59,920 | Estimated low-end value of cigarettes (California) |
The two women produced receipts for the purchase, but due to the volume of cigarettes, import permits from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau are required.
The CBP said that a quantity of this size is considered for “commercial” and not personal use.
“The importation of tobacco products is highly regulated from both tax and consumer safety perspectives,” said Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles.
“Travelers who intentionally disregard U.S. importation laws and regulations often pay a high price.”
Contraband Cigarettes Were Worth About $60,000 Retail
Under U.S. Customs rules, cruise passengers can bring back one carton (200 cigarettes) per adult for personal use, duty-free, if they’ve been outside the country for at least 48 hours.
Larger quantities must be declared and may be subject to import taxes. If the amount is considered commercial, typically anything far beyond personal use, the passenger must also obtain a special permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
In this case, officials said the 749 cartons found exceeded the legal limit, triggering seizure and destruction.
The CBP said the value of the cigarettes was worth almost $60,000 based on the current prices in California. The border agency said all cigarette cartons were seized and will now be destroyed.
“Selling illegally imported cigarettes could yield high profits for underground vendors due to the low cost of cigarettes purchased overseas and the evasion of taxes,” said Africa R. Bell, CBP Port Director of Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport.
“This type of scheme not only evades revenue owed to the United States but may be harmful to the American consumer.”
