Customs net £1.5m haul of smuggled cigarettes

Customs officers have seized 8.5 million illegal cigarettes with an estimated value of £1.5 million.

The consignment of cigarettes was seized after Customs investigators carried out a routine check of a container vessel at Warrenpoint on Saturday night. The Antigua and Barbuda registered cargo vessel ‘Emma’ had departed from Rotterdam.

The operation is part of the national UK strategy to combat tobacco smuggling, which aims to put cigarette smuggling into decline within three years. This kind of major seizure will have a huge impact on organised crime, representing a huge financial hit for them.

A Customs spokesperson said: “This latest major seizure is part of Customs’ ongoing crackdown on the smuggling of tobacco products through Northern Ireland’s ports and airports.

“Tobacco smuggling on this scale draws people into links with organised crime, attacks the livelihood of honest traders and in particular makes cigarettes cheaper and more accessible to children.

“The illegal trade in duty free cigarettes means less money for hospitals and schools. It also takes revenue away from local communities and into the hands of a few criminals."

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

In March 2000, the UK government invested an additional £209 million to tackle tobacco smuggling, which will provide Customs with almost 1,000 more officers and a national network of the latest X-ray scanners for deployment throughout the UK.

In July last year, the ‘UK Duty Paid’ mark became a legal requirement on all cigarette and hand-rolling tobacco packets bought and sold in the UK.

It is now an offence to possess, sell, deal, transport or store cigarettes or hand-rolling tobacco without the pack mark or for premises to be used for the sale of unmarked products.

(SP)