The Customs Contraband Enforcement Team (CET) yesterday seized an assortment of contraband in downtown Kingston including $16 million worth of fake cigarettes, rice, bleaching cream and gels.

Reports are that the CET raided a store on King Street and seized 3,958 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes valued at $16 million and 120,000 kilos of rice packaged in parcels weighing one, two and five kilos, labelled as parboiled rice imported from Brazil.

The expiration date on the parcels had been tampered with and stickers placed over the area. It is suspected that the rice is to be sold on the local market. A quantity of bleaching creams and gels were also confiscated by the CET.

Charges are pending as the proprietors were not present at the store at the time of the raid.

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