Rise in cigarette-smuggling at East Midlands Airport
MORE than 1.5m counterfeit cigarettes were seized at East Midlands Airport in the last six weeks of 2008.
The 1.55m cigarettes recovered by HM Revenue & Customs officers represented a duty loss to the treasury of £316,000.
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Cigarette haul
A further 400kg in hand rolling tobacco – representing a a £55,000 loss in duty – was also seized.
Both figures are up on the same period of 2007, when 1.23m counterfeit cigarettes and 236kg of hand rolling tobacco were recovered. The amounts equated to unpaid duty totalling £226,000 and £31,500 respectively.
A spokeswoman for HM Revenue & Customs in the East Midlands said: "The action we have taken to detect and disrupt those in tobacco-smuggling activities shows that our teams are robust and stringent in taking such goods out of the system before they reach local streets.
"Buying cheap cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco is not an innocent crime. It fills the pockets of criminals from the bottom to the top rung of the criminal ladder.
"Tobacco-smuggling at its worst is funding other types of serious crime, such as drug-smuggling. It's costing the taxpayer £3bn a year in lost revenue which could be funding hospitals, schools and care homes and has devastating impact on legitimate retailers.
"In addition, buying cheap tobacco products means individuals have no way of knowing whether they are buying counterfeit cigarettes or not."
The spokeswoman said that children and young people were among those targeted by illicit tobacco-sellers.
She added: "We are keen to work with local police to further our success in removing these illicit goods and would encourage anyone with information on smuggling activities to contact us."
Imperial Tobacco's UK manufacturing base is in Lenton and employs around 800 people making Lambert & Butler, Richmond, Embassy and Superkings cigarettes.
A spokesman said: "Counterfeit products are a major issue in the tobacco industry as it is with other industries. This has been the case for some time.
"While tobacco tax in UK remains the highest in the world, this illegal trade will go on.
"We work very closely with government authorities to tackle these kinds of activities."
guy.woodford@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk
5 Comments
by chas, Litle britain
Tuesday, January 13 2009, 12:26PM
“Spain stopped smuggling of tobacco products by reducing the tax.”
by Andyman, Derbys
Tuesday, January 13 2009, 3:23AM
“Big Al:
Considering each illegal immigrant costs the taxpayer £80,000 minimum per year; yopu would only need to stop five to be in profit.
Stopping illegals makes more common and financial sense, but this is New Labour, and taxpayers money means nothing to them unless it is some PR scheme, or trying to deceive the public.”
by Big Al, Carlton
Monday, January 12 2009, 6:19PM
“what a shame the same effort is not made to prevent drugs and illegal imigrants entering the country. both would save the Country a hell of a lot more than a mere £371.00. It's interesting to note that there was no mention of Alcohol, could it be because drink is so cheap and plentiful in the UK now? A lesson could be learned from this, reduce the cost of tobacco.”
by Andyman, Derbys
Monday, January 12 2009, 3:56PM
“Yet again the Governments policies lead to more criminal activities, with such high taxation on any commodity, it is inevitable that it is worthwhile smuggling such commodities in from abroad.
Many other Governments have realised this and lowered taxation on the most highly taxed commodities, and while they actually collect a lower taxation from these products, they actually collect it from a considerably higher percentage of them. This then eliminates the smuggling markets as it is not profitable for smugglers to smuggle such items, and allows customs officers to concentrate their efforts into other aspects of their roles and duties.”
by mg, st ann's
Monday, January 12 2009, 10:54AM
“The 1.55m cigarettes recovered by HM Revenue & Customs officers represented a duty loss to the treasury of £316,000.
A further 400kg in hand rolling tobacco ¿ representing a a £55,000 loss in duty ¿ was also seized.
Both figures are up on the same period of 2007, when 1.23m counterfeit cigarettes and 236kg of hand rolling tobacco were recovered. The amounts equated to unpaid duty totalling £226,000 and £31,500 respectively.........................then simply open a shop to sell them at the normal price and get the tax back, if people were allowed to buy tobacco and fags at the same price as the eu there wouldn't be any need to smuggle them but that was not allowed to happen, some common market eh? rip off britain rides again!!!”