Two dozen bottles of rum destined for the Tiwi Islands have been seized during routine screening of air arrivals on Monday, while the female recipient has been issued a notice to appear in court, NT Police said.

Acting Sergeant Ben Higgins said officers noticed that two boxes of freight appeared excessively heavy.

“The consignee confirmed ownership and officers opened the first box, revealing nine one-litre bottles of rum,” Sgt Higgins said.

“The consignee then advised there were additional bottles hidden in other items on board the flight.”

Police said they found and seized 24 bottles of rum in total that were allegedly destined for secondary sale in the remote communities at “highly inflated prices.”

A 20-year-old woman has been issued a Notice to Appear for bringing and supplying liquor into a restricted area.

“Secondary supply targets our most vulnerable people and contributes to the cycles of poverty and violence,” Sgt Higgins said.

He added that NT Police will continue to target the secondary supply of liquor and “hold to account those seeking to profit from the practice”.