11MILLION cigarettes seized by Customs at Felixstowe port
A RECORD 11 million dodgy cigarettes have been seized by Border Force officers at an east coast port.
11 Million cigarettes were seized by Border Force at Felixstowe
The special law enforcement squad foiled the biggest ever attempt to smuggle fags into the UK after uncovering the plot at Felixstowe, Suffolk.
They swooped after officers searched a container that had arrived at the country's largest container terminal on a ship from Aejea, Dubai.
The cargo from the Middle East was listed as formaldehyde resin.
But agents discovered hundreds of boxes piled high with a staggering 11,266,800 smokes.
Border Force chiefs said it was the biggest single seizure of cigarettes made at the port.
The audacious operation would have cost the government about £3.2m in duty and VAT if it had come off.
The operation would have cost the government £3.2million in taxes
This is a significant seizure, the biggest my officers have ever made at the port
Charlotte Mann, assistant director for Border Force Felixstowe, said: “The container was scanned and officers then carried out a physical search.
“They discovered more than 900 boxes inside containing four different brands of cigarettes.
“This is a significant seizure, the biggest my officers have ever made at the port.
There were 900 boxes full of cigarettes of various brands
“By stopping the shipment Border Force has starved those responsible of the proceeds of their criminality.“
She added: “The black market cheats honest traders and it is effectively stealing from the public purse.
“People tempted by cheap cigarettes and tobacco should think again.”
Charlotte Mann said that the illegal trade cheats honest traders out of business
The first cigarettes were found on September 19.
But the sheer scale of the smuggling bid meant the fags were not fully unloaded and tallied until three days later, September 22.
Border Force officers use hi-tech search equipment to detect banned and restricted goods villains try to bring into the UK.