Singapore Customs has handed over 77,850 empty counterfeit vodka bottles, 18 boxes of bottle caps and 10 boxes of labels to its authentic brand owner, Diageo North America, for destruction, following a court order, said a statement on Tuesday.

The counterfeit items, all bearing the Smirnoff brand, were seized by Singapore Customs officers on June 6 last year at cargo distribution complex Keppel Distripark. The bottles had been stored in 2,595 cartons.

The trademark-infringing items, declared as "general cargoes" were shipped from a neighbouring country and consigned to a company here. They were transported in a total of 11 20-foot containers and were intended to be shipped to another country. They were suspected to be used for illegal bottling and sale abroad, said Singapore Customs.

Singapore Customs handed over the detained items on Dec 26 last year to the legal representative of the brand owner, which had successfully applied to the court for the counterfeits to be forfeited for destruction.