More than 15m cigarettes confiscated in Northern Ireland – Belfast Telegraph

Posted: June 6, 2021 at 7:35 pm

More than 15m cigarettes and four and a halftonnes of tobacco have been seized in two separate operations.

f the smuggling attempts had not been detected, it would have cost the Treasury approximately 7.2m in unpaid duty and VAT, officials said.

In the first operation, Border Force officers detected 4.44 tonnes of tobacco that arrived into Northern Ireland from Germany. The container was shipped from Rotterdam to Belfast and was destined for an address in Co Down. The revenue and VAT evaded would have been approximately 1.44m.

In the second operation, 15,120,000 cigarettes were detected at Belfast Docks after two containers were examined after arriving from Vietnam via Rotterdam. The containers appeared to be wooden furniture and were destined for an address in Belfast. The revenue and VAT evaded would have been 5.8m.

Both seizures were referred to HMRC for investigation.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said: Revenue and VAT evasion are not victimless crimes: this is the money we use to pay for our health service, education and infrastructure being stolen to fund all manner of illegal activity.

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More than 15m cigarettes confiscated in Northern Ireland - Belfast Telegraph

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