Man arrested after 1.1m illegal cigarettes found near Lisburn

A 59 YEAR-old man from Dundalk was arrested by officers from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) following the discovery of smuggled cigarettes in a van near Lisburn last week.

HMRC officers, assisted by officers from the PSNI, seized 1.1 million duty free cigarettes, estimated to be worth around £300,000 in unpaid excise duty and VAT, being transported along the A1 near Lisburn.

HMRC Assistant Director for Criminal Investigation, John Whiting, said: “The availability of these cheap cigarettes in Northern Ireland is something that should cause concern for members of the public. These are low quality, unregulated cigarettes, made exclusively for the black market and people should certainly be wary about buying them.

“HMRC is determined to tackle this black market trade and would remind everyone that it is a criminal offence to import, distribute or trade in duty free goods such as smuggled cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco. If you are caught you can face criminal prosecution.”

The man was released on bail pending further enquiries. Both the cigarettes and the van were seized.