Van driver arrested after 600,000 illicit cigarettes seized

Officers discovered the haul in the back of a vehicle on the M74 on Friday morning.

18th Aug 2020

A van driver has been arrested after around 600,000 illicit cigarettes were seized from a vehicle on the M74.

The van was stopped by police while driving southbound on the motorway in Lanarkshire at 11am on Friday.

Officers discovered the haul in the back of the van and alerted HM Revenue and Customs.

The estimated duty lost on the cigarettes is £185,000.

A 32-year-old man was arrested and interviewed at Motherwell Police Station by HMRC officers before being charged with excise duty fraud.

Joe Hendry, assistant director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “We are committed to disrupting the distribution of illicit tobacco across the UK and levelling the playing field for local businesses who cannot compete with criminal competitors.

“Anyone with information about people or businesses involved in tax fraud can contact our HMRC Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887 or online at gov.uk.”

Gary Tickner, road policing inspector, Police Scotland, said: “This seizure is an excellent example of our partnership with HMRC in tackling organised crime groups.

“We continue to work closely with partner agencies to detect and disrupt criminal activity in our communities.”