British Broadcasting Corporation

watch live BBC NEWS CHANNEL
News Front Page
World
UK
England
Northern Ireland
N Ireland Politics
Scotland
Wales
Business
Politics
Health
Education
Science & Environment
Technology
Entertainment
Also in the news
-----------------
Video and Audio
-----------------
Have Your Say
Magazine
In Pictures
Country Profiles
Special Reports

Related BBC sites

Site Version
Page last updated at 15:29 GMT, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 16:29 UK
E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Cigarettes seized in docks swoop

Container cigarettes were found in
More than eight million cigarettes have been seized

More than eight million cigarettes worth about £2.4m have been seized at Belfast docks.

They were found in a container under a load of tyres brought in from China on Monday. The shipment was en route to County Down when it was intercepted.

No arrests were made. An investigation is under way to determine if the cigarettes are counterfeit.

John Whiting, of HM Revenue & Customs, believes it was the work of organised criminals.

He said tobacco smuggling created a "cheap and unregulated supply, operated by and for the benefit of criminals."

"This is not a victimless crime," he said.

"The huge profits reaped from the sales of these cigarettes would have been 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."

The cigarettes have a potential duty evasion of £1.8m.

It is a criminal offence to buy or sell cigarettes or other tobacco products that do not bear fiscal markings and on which the proper excise duty has not been paid.

Maggie Eyden of the UK Borders Agency said it was determined to stamp out the scourge of cigarette smuggling.

"Tobacco smuggling is operated by and for the benefit of criminals who don't care who they sell to - and that includes children," she said.



E-mail this to a friend Printable version

SEE ALSO
Lorry raid nets 6.5m cigarettes
23 Apr 08 |  Northern Ireland

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
HM Revenue and Customs
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

TOP NORTHERN IRELAND STORIES
Deadlock 'encourages dissidents'
Irish 'should be made official'
Two men charged over drugs find

FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS
Box Living in boxes
Has the desire for privacy driven us into tiny homes?
Citroen in unknown location The 2CV at 60
It was the perfect car for a camping trip to the USSR
Iberian Lynx (Pic by Antonio Rojas) Five alive (just)
Rare, not well done - the species on the brink of extinction
Skip to top

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Explore the BBC

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
Americas Africa Europe Middle East South Asia Asia Pacific