5m illegal cigarettes seized by customs officers in NI town

An operation to disrupt the sale and supply of illegal tobacco in County Armagh has uncovered more than five million cigarettes, all believed to be illicit.
By Jonathan McCambridge
Published 6th Nov 2020, 14:36 BST
Updated 6th Nov 2020, 16:20 BST
The cigarettes seized in LurganThe cigarettes seized in Lurgan
The cigarettes seized in Lurgan

Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) attended premises in Lurgan on Tuesday.

They seized 5.2 million non-UK duty paid cigarettes, with an estimated £2m duty and VAT evaded.

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Steve Tracey, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £1.9 billion a year.

“This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.

“We encourage anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco to report it online or call the Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”