Smuggled cigarettes seized at Belfast International Airport

Customs Officers have netted around 300,000 cigarettes in an operation at Belfast International Airport (BIA) carried out this morning.

Customs assisted by police detected the cigarettes on flights arriving from Spain and the Canary Islands, a haul which would have amounted to approximately £50,000 in lost revenue.

This is part of Customs’ ongoing campaign against the illegal tobacco trade, which costs UK taxpayers an estimated £4 billion a year.

A Customs spokesperson said: “These seizures alone would have meant over £60,000 in lost sales to honest local traders.

“Customs Officers will continue to tackle smugglers who use holiday flights to cover their illegal activities. However, we would stress that honest, legitimate travellers should have absolutely nothing to fear."

He also appealed to the public to help Customs in the fight against smuggling: "if you have any information about suspicious activity, please call our confidential hotline on 0800 59 5000.”

Penalties for tobacco smuggling include: seizure of all goods and vehicles used, punitive fines, withdrawal of loss of lottery terminal and/or liquor licence and up to seven years jail.

In the 2000 budget, the Government committed £209 million to tackling tobacco smuggling, which will provide almost 1,000 more Customs officers and a national network of the latest x-ray scanners at ports.

(SP)