Customs seize illegal cigarettes at Larne port

Customs officers have seized nearly three million duty free cigarettes concealed in a consignment of Bulgarian matches arriving at the Port of Larne via Liverpool.

Customs officials, who made the recovery on Friday March 15, said they believed the smuggled cigarettes would have been destined for illegal sale in both Northern Ireland and the Republic.

These cigarettes, according to Customs and Excise, would have cost the taxpayer alone around £500,000 in lost revenue.

A Customs spokesperson said the seizure highlighted their commitment to tackling all types of smuggling. He added: “This shipment would have meant the loss of £650,000 in sales to local shops. It takes revenue away from the local economy and into the hands of a few criminals. The illegal trade in duty free cigarettes also means less money for hospitals and schools.

In March 2000, the Government invested an additional £209 million to tackling tobacco smuggling, which provided Customs with almost 1,000 more officers and a national network of the latest x-ray scanners flexibly deployed throughout the UK.

This national strategy aims to put cigarette smuggling into decline within three years.

A £3 million publicity campaign was launched in September 2000 to raise general public awareness of tobacco smuggling as well as sending hard messages to smugglers and potential smugglers. (AMcE)