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Millions Of Counterfeit Cigarettes Seized At LA Port

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Customs officials say they have seized more than 22,000 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes valued at more than $1 million at a Southern California port.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release Wednesday that import specialists and officers at the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex intercepted the shipment from China and seized more than 4.4 million cigarettes with false Marlboro trademarks.

The statement says the retail value of the 22,170 cartons marked Marlboro Light 100s and Marlboro Gold Pack would have totaled $1.1 million.

Customs officials say the shipment was falsely labeled "hang tags and hang plugs."

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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