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13/12/2005
Three million cigarettes uncovered by customs
More than three million cigarettes smuggled into Northern Ireland concealed in a consignment of plate glass sheets have been seized in Belfast.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) recovered 3,175,400 counterfeit cigarettes over the weekend, from a container arriving in Belfast Docks from China.
The fake cigarettes were discovered hidden in lead-lined concealments within crates of plate glass and HMRC today confirmed that had the consignment reached the open market, the estimated UK revenue loss would have been over £500,000.
Customs Head of Detection in Northern Ireland, Colin McAllister said: "This was a well organised and sophisticated smuggling attempt and demonstrates HMRC's continuing commitment to tackling tobacco smuggling.
"The large amount of cigarettes seized at Belfast Docks, which follows on from recent seizures of 400,000 cigarettes at Northern Ireland's airports from the start of December, shows that tobacco smuggling is not a small scale, victimless crime. It can be highly organised and lucrative and we are working to tackle that threat."
No arrests have been made and investigations into the consignment are continuing.
(MB/SP)
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) recovered 3,175,400 counterfeit cigarettes over the weekend, from a container arriving in Belfast Docks from China.
The fake cigarettes were discovered hidden in lead-lined concealments within crates of plate glass and HMRC today confirmed that had the consignment reached the open market, the estimated UK revenue loss would have been over £500,000.
Customs Head of Detection in Northern Ireland, Colin McAllister said: "This was a well organised and sophisticated smuggling attempt and demonstrates HMRC's continuing commitment to tackling tobacco smuggling.
"The large amount of cigarettes seized at Belfast Docks, which follows on from recent seizures of 400,000 cigarettes at Northern Ireland's airports from the start of December, shows that tobacco smuggling is not a small scale, victimless crime. It can be highly organised and lucrative and we are working to tackle that threat."
No arrests have been made and investigations into the consignment are continuing.
(MB/SP)
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25 March 2002
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Smuggled cigarettes seized at Belfast International Airport
Customs Officers have netted around 300,000 cigarettes in an operation at Belfast International Airport (BIA) carried out this morning. Customs assisted by police detected the cigarettes on flights arriving from Spain and the Canary Islands, a haul which would have amounted to approximately £50,000 in lost revenue.
Smuggled cigarettes seized at Belfast International Airport
Customs Officers have netted around 300,000 cigarettes in an operation at Belfast International Airport (BIA) carried out this morning. Customs assisted by police detected the cigarettes on flights arriving from Spain and the Canary Islands, a haul which would have amounted to approximately £50,000 in lost revenue.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:The day will be very windy with strong to gale force westerly winds becoming occasionally severe along the north coast. Sunny spells will be interspersed with scattered showers. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:West to northwest gale force winds, severe along the north coast, will continue overnight. Frequent showers persist, merging into longer periods of rain at times and turning wintry. Minimum temperature 1 °C.
