10:58am Wednesday 17th March 2010
By David Roberts
ONE of the biggest private hauls of smuggled tobacco ever found in the region has been uncovered.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds of illegal cigarettes and tobacco has been seized by officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) following a series of raids in the Darlington and Stockton area.
At two of the raids, which were carried out at residential and commercial properties in the towns, a total of £200,000 worth of cigarettes and rolling tobacco was found.
The raids, which were carried out following intelligence received by HMRC, uncovered thousands of packets of illegal, duty free and counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco. Many were the cheap white brand cigarettes produced specifically for the black market.
HMRC spokeswoman, Michelle Potts, said: “HMRC has long stated that the trade in illicit cigarettes is having a significant and detrimental effect on local communities and these recent seizures go some way to proving this.
“People trading in illicit and counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco are unlicensed and unregistered. This is a criminal activity, one which provides a cheap, unregulated source of tobacco.”
At one address, a run-down business premises in the centre of Stockton, 730,000 cigarettes and nearly 500 kilos of tobacco was found hidden among old tyres. Officers also discovered nearly 14,000 illegal cigarettes and seven kilos of hand-rolling tobacco at a property in Darlington.
It is estimated that the loss in unpaid excise duty and VAT on these two hauls is about £200,000.
It is believed the haul uncovered in Stockton is one of the biggest ever found in the North-East as result of an operation at private addresses.
Ailsa Rutter, director of Fresh Smoke Free North-East said: “We have made great progress in the North-East in reducing smoking rates, and smuggled tobacco undermines all this effort. Illegal tobacco makes it easier for children to start and keep buying cigarettes, no matter how young they are.”
Anybody with information about trading or storing illicit tobacco, is asked to contact HMRC in confidence on 0800- 595-000.
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