Switzerland has seen a large-scale hike in cigarette-smuggling from Africa where prices are 10 times cheaper, a senior customs official said Wednesday.

A number of passengers arriving from Senegal have been found to be carrying 100 to 300 cartons of cigarettes in their luggage, Geneva regional customs director Jerome Coquoz told reporters.

"A carton is sold in Senegal for the equivalent of 7.5 Swiss francs (6.2 euros or 8.1 dollars) while it is worth 76 Swiss francs in Switzerland," he said.

Last year, Geneva regional customs seized 14 "large" consignments of Malboro cigarettes, involving 2,500 cartons, he said, suggesting this was a new form of trafficking.

Meanwhile drug seizures were also up last year at Geneva airport, including 28 kilos (61 pounds) of cocaine.