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30/07/2009
Arrest Follows Latest Cigarette Haul
Several million illegally imported cigarettes were recovered in Belfast yesterday.
On Wednesday morning officers uncovered six million mixed-brand cigarettes in a trailer containing peppers.
About 3.5 million John Player Special cigarettes were also found the previous night by the UK Border Agency - concealed in two containers under a load of granite - totalling 9m removed from circulation in just 24 hours.
A man from Co Armagh was arrested after the customs officers seized the cigarettes at Belfast Docks during Wednesday's operation.
A spokesperson for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs said the loss to the public purse would have been £2m.
John Whiting, Assistant Director Criminal Investigation, HMRC said: "Tobacco smuggling is not a victimless crime.
"The huge profits reaped from the sales of illegal cigarettes are ploughed straight back into the criminal underworld, feeding activities like drug dealing and fraud.
"Purchasing cheap cigarettes without the duty paid on them means trading with criminals, and undermining honest businesses," he said.
This is only the most recent of such hauls successfully recovered by the authorities.
Earlier this month, a cross-border and international operation resulted in the seizure of several million counterfeit cigarettes as part of an ongoing operation targeting the illegal imports.
Customs officers seized 8.5m smuggled cigarettes in Belfast with staff from the UK Border Agency uncovering the haul of Regal King Size cigarettes.
It was found on 7th July, hidden behind boxes in a cargo that had arrived at Belfast docks.
Officials said that if it had not been intercepted, the smuggling operation would have cost a duty evasion total of £1.91m.
See: International Operation Nets Cigarettes
(BMcC/JM)
On Wednesday morning officers uncovered six million mixed-brand cigarettes in a trailer containing peppers.
About 3.5 million John Player Special cigarettes were also found the previous night by the UK Border Agency - concealed in two containers under a load of granite - totalling 9m removed from circulation in just 24 hours.
A man from Co Armagh was arrested after the customs officers seized the cigarettes at Belfast Docks during Wednesday's operation.
A spokesperson for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs said the loss to the public purse would have been £2m.
John Whiting, Assistant Director Criminal Investigation, HMRC said: "Tobacco smuggling is not a victimless crime.
"The huge profits reaped from the sales of illegal cigarettes are ploughed straight back into the criminal underworld, feeding activities like drug dealing and fraud.
"Purchasing cheap cigarettes without the duty paid on them means trading with criminals, and undermining honest businesses," he said.
This is only the most recent of such hauls successfully recovered by the authorities.
Earlier this month, a cross-border and international operation resulted in the seizure of several million counterfeit cigarettes as part of an ongoing operation targeting the illegal imports.
Customs officers seized 8.5m smuggled cigarettes in Belfast with staff from the UK Border Agency uncovering the haul of Regal King Size cigarettes.
It was found on 7th July, hidden behind boxes in a cargo that had arrived at Belfast docks.
Officials said that if it had not been intercepted, the smuggling operation would have cost a duty evasion total of £1.91m.
See: International Operation Nets Cigarettes
(BMcC/JM)
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