2 minute read
Illegal Tobacco
by 55 North
HMRC seizes illegal cigarettes in Dundee
Tobacco seized from an industrial park in Dundee is believed to be worth an estimated £378,000 in lost duty and taxes.
man has been charged after more than 800,000 suspected illicit cigarettes were seized by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) inside a container at an industrial park in Dundee.
A further 31kg of hand-rolled tobacco was also confiscated, alongside the 824,620 cigarettes. The tobacco products found in the container are believed to be worth an estimated £378,000 in lost duty and taxes.
A man in his 40s from Dundee was arrested at the scene and interviewed by HMRC officers. He has been charged with Excise Duty fraud and released pending further enquiries.
Joe Hendry, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “Cheap cigarettes come at a cost, as they often fund organised crime and other illegal activity that causes real harm to our communities. HMRC continues to relentlessly pursue the determined minority who refuse to play by the rules.
“Anyone with information about the illegal sale of cigarettes and tobacco should report it to HMRC online at gov.uk.”
Meanwhile, Aberdeenshire Council’s trading standards team has seized an estimated 18,000 illegal cigarettes and vaping products from two addresses in Fraserburgh.
A dedicated detection dog helped find the haul of illegal cigarettes, worth thousands of pounds, at a residential property and a commercial premises in the town. The contraband was hidden inside the empty casing of a printer, placed on the shelf in the storeroom of the shop. A larger haul of illegal cigarettes was found in the property after trading standards obtained a warrant issued by a court to search the premises.
Investigations are now under way with a view to reporting those involved to the Procurator Fiscal.
