Police seize £5m smuggled cigs

Jan 28 2008 By Tony Deeley

INVESTIGATIONS were continuing today after more than £5 million worth of smuggled cigarettes were discovered in the Black Country.

The Raquel cigarettes, believed to have been smuggled into the UK from Holland, were found in a lorry trailer inside an electronics unit, in Wednesbury.

They were seized by customs officers on Wednesday in a joint police operation carried out with West Midlands and South Yorkshire forces.

A criminal gang which had earlier hijacked the lorry, fled the scene before the police arrived. It is believed the cigarettes were destined for sale on the black market in the West Midlands. The lost revenue on their sale is believed to be almost £1 million.

Keith Morgan, inland detection manager for HM Revenue & Customs, said: "We are determined to eradicate this form of criminality, which has a devastating effect on all our communities.

"The huge profits reaped from cigarette smuggling are ploughed straight back into the criminal underworld, feeding activities like drug-dealing and fraud."

Mr Morgan said no arrests had been made in connection with the smuggled cigarettes but investigations were continuing. * He urged anyone knowing someone selling cheap cigarettes and tobacco to phone a confidential hotline on 0800 59 5000 .