Sniffer dog catches criminals trying to smuggle 99MILLION cigarettes into the UK in the biggest seizure EVER at a British port
- UK Border Force praised the seizure which was valued at around £44MILLION
- A 57-year-old man was arrested and bailed in connection with the haul
- Another man from the Birmingham area has been questioned by police
A sniffer dog has rumbled a plot to smuggle 99 million fags into the country in the single largest seizure of illegal cigarettes EVER at a UK port.
The cigarettes, which were found in eight containers, are thought to value at about £44m in unpaid taxes, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said.
The haul was found at the port of Hull, East Yorkshire, and was said to have been shipped through the United Arab Emirates, import papers suggested.
The seizure of the illegal cigarettes in Hull is the biggest ever at a British port
The import documents suggested the containers were carrying birchwood logs, but a Border Force sniffer dog uncovered the haul of illegal tobacco.
A 57-year-old man from South Wales was arrested in July in connection with the seizure and has been released on bail, HMRC said.
Images of the haul show containers packed with boxes of smuggled cigarettes from UAE
HMRC said the haul of illegal cigarettes was said to valued at almost £44 MILLION in unpaid tax
Another man from the Birmingham area had been interviewed under caution, with investigations ongoing, it added.
Anthony Usher, deputy director of HMRC’s fraud investigation service, said: ‘This is the single largest seizure of cigarettes ever made at a UK port.
‘Our streets would have been flooded with them had they not been discovered.
‘We are determined to stamp out tobacco fraud by working closely with partners in the UK and internationally to bring those responsible to justice.
‘Cheap cigarettes come at a cost as they often fund organised crime and other illegal activity that causes real harm to our communities, such as drugs, guns and human trafficking.’
Irene Hall from Border Force’s northern region said: ‘Illicit cigarettes are dangerous, harmful and fund organised criminal gangs.
‘The officers involved can be proud that this huge interception has stopped illicit cigarettes from entering our communities.’
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