Over 10 million illegal cigarettes seized at Belfast port

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said its officials have seized 10.8 million illegal cigarettes at Belfast Port last week.

The cigarettes, worth around £5.3million in unpaid taxes, were seized by HMRC working alongside Border Force, on 20 June. The cigarettes were found packed in cardboard boxes inside a container that had been scanned by Border Force.

No arrests have been madem and the investigations continue, HMRC said.

“This is a huge seizure of illegal cigarettes and our streets would have been flooded with them had they not been discovered, Lucie Irving, assistant director, fraud investigation service, HMRC, said.

“We are determined to stamp out tobacco fraud by working closely with our partners in the UK and internationally to bring those responsible to justice.”