Millions of cigarettes seized at city dock
BORDER officials have seized more than a million cigarettes that were smuggled into a Hull dock.
The smuggled tobacco, worth £300,000, was hidden in a cargo of pint glasses.
The discovery earlier this month has prevented a large amount of illegal and unregulated tobacco from reaching the streets.
John Kinghorn, assistant director of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), said: "This seizure illustrates the lengths smugglers will go to in an attempt to bring their illegal tobacco products into the UK.
"Cheap, often counterfeit, cigarettes are a major threat to the health and well-being of communities in the Hull area.
"Smugglers are criminals who are only out to make a profit. They do not care about the harm that they cause by smuggling, whether it is drugs, dangerous counterfeit cigarettes or illegal immigrants."
The seizure was made at King George Docks, east Hull, when the driver of a trailer was stopped by officers after it arrived from the Rotterdam ferry.
A closer examination revealed some of the boxes contained more than just their legitimate cargo of glasses, pet food and paper towels.
Boxes on the top layer of pallets contained pint glasses, but other boxes underneath had cigarettes packed around the glasses in an attempt to conceal the contraband.
An estimated 215,000 cigarettes were found concealed on each pallet, amounting to 1.7m.
No arrests have been made but inquiries are ongoing.
People in the region are being warned to be on the look-out for traders selling counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes as the car boot season gets underway this Easter.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding people visiting car boot sales and markets of the dangers of illicit cigarettes.
Keith Morgan, detection manager for HMRC, said: "This is not an innocent or victimless crime, but one that encourages otherwise honest people to trade with criminals."
6 Comments
by i give up cigs, on the moon
Tuesday, March 31 2009, 9:10AM
“why dont the HM Revenue and Customs just open a shop and sell all the goods that they bin jusr sell to make money for the schools or the hospitals?”
by Jonny Rev, KUH
Monday, March 30 2009, 5:02PM
“"Cheap, often counterfeit, cigarettes are a major threat to the health and well-being of communities in the Hull area"
Are the people who make these statements dead from the neck up?”
by Norman, Hull
Monday, March 30 2009, 1:14PM
“One size fits all with this govt; TAX IT, instead of thinking things out. As Carol states they rip off the public in everything, life itself then wonder why ????”
by Paul, Beverley
Monday, March 30 2009, 10:00AM
“It makes me laugh you thinking that the government are NOT trying to tackle the problem with cigarettes (legal, illegally imported and/or counterfeit)”
by Mick, Hull
Monday, March 30 2009, 8:05AM
“Makes me laugh when the government state its a threat to the health importing unregulated cigs into the country!
Then why hasnt this government or any past governments tackled the cig companies into why they have been found to be adding chemicals into tobacco to make them more addictive than ever! Yet ive never heard of any governments tackling this issue,
Its just about revenue!!!”
by Carol, Hull
Monday, March 30 2009, 6:33AM
“If the government weren't ripping off the public so much with the tax on cigarettes smuggling wouldn't be profitable it or necessary.”