Customs officers have seized three million cigarettes worth $7.2 million, and with a duty potential of $5.2 million, in a crackdown on telephone ordering of illicit cigarettes.

Officers detected 96 cases via telephone order from April to October, and arrested 119 people aged 18 to 73, including 61 illicit cigarette buyers.

Forty-one vehicles used to deliver the cigarettes were also seized.

In the past 10 months the department has detected 14 significant smuggling cases and shut down 208 illicit cigarette distribution centres, seizing 55 million illicit cigarettes worth $135 million.

Illicit cigarette activities can be reported on 2545 6182.